Now’s the time to get the COVID-19 booster and flu shots – especially with winter approaching.
“We hit 400 patients with COVID in the hospital about a week ago,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, Connecticut’s public health commissioner. “I do expect that that number will continue to rise over the next couple of weeks.”
Juthani told Connecticut Public Radio’s “Where We Live” that her department is also monitoring the flu across the state. Less mask usage this winter may result in more flu cases.
“Flu has been low for the last couple of years,” Juthani said. “We do anticipate it’s going to be much higher this year; we already see activity. We’re expecting a worse flu season than usual.”
Still, there’s good news. According to the CDC and hospital systems, with vaccines, people are protected against the severity of both the flu and COVID-19. Juthani said the new COVID bivalent booster would prevent people from getting severely sick. Connecticut has administered close to 100,000 doses since early September.
Workforce shortages
Ahead of the anticipated uptick in COVID and flu cases, Connecticut, like the rest of the U.S., is facing nursing shortages.
“Health care workers are still doing their part that they do every single day in hospitals,” Juthani said. “There are people who certainly have left the workforce. There have been several state initiatives to bolster workforce development. But these types of initiatives take time.”
Connecticut launched a higher education program earlier this year to build up the pipeline of nurses, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Emily Caminiti contributed to this report.