Prepare for Co-circulating Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 Viruses

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published Influenza Update N° 417, which highlighted the current influenza surveillance data should be interpreted with caution as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has influenced health-seeking behaviors, testing priorities, and capacities.

With the increasing detections of influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are recommended to prepare for the co-circulation of influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 viruses, stated the WHO on April 18, 2022.

Countries are encouraged to enhance integrated surveillance to monitor influenza and SARS-CoV-2 simultaneously and step-up their influenza vaccination campaign to prevent severe disease and hospitalizations associated with influenza.

And clinicians should consider influenza in differential diagnosis, especially for high-risk groups for influenza, and test and treat according to national guidance.

The WHO confirmed in 2021 that the administration of both vaccines during the same visit has advantages and is encouraged.

The U.S. CDC recently stated that 'individuals can get COVID-19 and flu vaccinations simultaneously.'

As usual, influenza outbreaks are a year-round activity.

The WHO GISRS laboratories recently tested more than 351,000 specimens from various countries, with about 10% positive for influenza viruses, of which 96.5% were typed as influenza A.

In North America, influenza activity continued to increase in recent weeks but remained lower than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels for this time of year and was predominantly due to influenza A viruses, with A(H3N2) predominant among the subtyped viruses. 

In the temperate zones of the Southern Hemisphere, influenza activity remained low overall.

However, detections of influenza A viruses continued to be reported in some countries in South America and South Africa.

In the U.S., flu shot services are available at most clinics and pharmacies.

Additional flu shot news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/flu.

Note: The WHO information was edited for clarity and manually curated for mobile readership.