On October 12th and 19th, students and staff at CFHS volunteered to receive this year’s influenza vaccination. In the midst of an entirely other strain of disease causing a global pandemic, the yearly tradition of flu shots might be pushed to the backburner, but this tradition has never been more important than it is today. These remarkable staff and students, by taking just a moment out of their busy schedules to help fight a 100-year-old virus, are leading the assault on the pandemic of Covid-19 at large.

As the medical world strives to combat Covid-19, one of their leading concerns is the abundance of hospital beds that can be used to accommodate infected patients. Making certain that we take every measure to prevent preventable diseases such as influenza, we can preserve hospital beds for those who have been afflicted with a disease that yet has no vaccine. As CFHS nurse Pam Wulfs states, “Preventing the spread of influenza could also help to decrease the number of people that require hospitalization due to influenza complications during a time when our medical system is already stressed due to COVID-19.” By slowing the spread of a century-old disease, those who get their flu shot are the saving lives of our most vulnerable.

Beyond saving the lives of others, those who get vaccinated for influenza are increasing their own chances of surviving this pandemic. The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State University worries about the possible consequences of being exposed to both influenza and Covid-19, stating that “infection with one could increase the severity of the other,” and that “infection with one could weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to the other.” Pitting one’s body up against two respiratory illnesses is as dangerous as it is preventable. With a simple shot of the flu vaccine from a local clinic or hospital, one can drastically increase their own chances of surviving amongst the rapidly spreading Covid-19.

Anyone interested in getting vaccinated has several avenues available; pharmacies and clinics all across the nation offer easy access to flu shots for anyone interested. If you are interested in finding a vaccination clinic near you, visit the CDC’s online vaccine finder.

With Covid-19 at the forefront of our news and daily lives, it is important that we all take a moment to prevent unnecessary hospital bed usage and increase our own chances of survival by getting vaccinated for a disease the medical world has already defeated. And, as we carry out this critical responsibility, we can have hope in the fact humanity has before defeated a global pandemic, and that we can do it once again.