HEALTHY FAMILY
Flu Shots & More
Fall and winter health during COVID-19
BY COURTNEY MCGEE
Get. The. Shot. Now.

recommendations for the upcoming flu
season. They advise that everyone ages 6
months and older should be vaccinated, and
it can be done anywhere that is licensed and
able to offer the age-appropriate vaccine. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
also strongly recommends getting the flu
vaccine, preferably by the end of October.

Optimistically, we should have a
workable vaccine for COVID-19 within the
year. Unlike the flu vaccine, which can be
administered in northern nations in the
fall and southern nations in the spring, the
COVID vaccine will be in demand globally
at the same time. Logistically, physicians
expect that it will be an overwhelming
challenge, but hopefully, with all the great
minds in science working vigilantly on this,
an end will be in sight before too long.

Sanitize away, but safely!
Another late-night thought: Will all this use
of hand sanitizers contribute to creating
some sort of “super germs” over time? Or
is that a myth? Around here, we treat hand
sanitizer as a good-enough-until-you-can-
get-to-a-proper-sink quick fix, but we’re
definitely using far more of the stuff than
we ever have before. Is that safe?
“Hand sanitizer is strongly recom-
mended,” Gebo says. She reassured me that
overusing sanitizer won’t create problems
with tolerance and resistance. “That’s really
more about long-term antibiotic use, not
hand sanitizers,” she says.

To kill the COVID-19 virus, we are
supposed to seek sanitizers with more than
60 percent alcohol. At that potency, ingesting
even a small amount could poison a child, and
the AAP reports that poison control calls for
hand sanitizer ingestion rose by 79 percent in
March. With that in mind, please safeguard
hand sanitizers around young children.

“It is absolutely important to get flu shots,”
says Gebo. “More than ever, this is the year
to get a flu shot.”
Gebo cautions that “there will be
co-spread of both viruses,” and you could
actually get the flu and COVID at the same
time. However, the flu has both a vaccine and
treament available. “Let’s get that managed
because we can,” says Gebo.

If you get sick, it may be hard to tell whether
it’s influenza or COVID, so you’ll need to get
tested. Testing requires (already strained)
supplies and healthcare resources—another
reason to try to prevent the flu.

If you haven’t already gotten your flu shot,
schedule an appointment now. Vaccinating
early can provide coverage until March.

Will we need a booster later? It’s hard to say
right now.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Our immune systems
(AAP) takes the same stance in their vaccine What about all this sterilization and
34 WashingtonFAMILY OCTOBER 2020
macniak; Moussa81 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
I often find myself awake at 3 a.m. with
random thoughts bouncing around my
head. Lately, my worries are centered
around COVID and what we might expect
in the coming seasons. Specifically, how
much of our “old normal” and “new
normal” will coincide?
Take flu shots, for example. My family
has always gotten them in October. But one
recent night, I wondered if we even need flu
shots this year. If we’re taking the proper
precautions against COVID-19, then aren’t
we protected against other illnesses, too?
If we’re being safe, kids also shouldn’t get
colds, strep, mono, pink eye, stomach bugs,
head lice and a whole bunch of other things,
right? But are we doing things correctly?
To find answers to some of these questions,
I reached out to infectious disease expert Dr.

Kelly Anne Gebo, director of public health
studies and a professor of medicine at Johns
Hopkins University. I am thankful that Gebo
had some great advice to share.




“It is very important to not
have a stigma about COVID.

Stigma prevents people from
getting tested because they
don’t want to be positive. They
don’t want to tell people, don’t
want to quarantine and don’t
want to be blamed.”
—Dr. Kelly Anne Gebo, Johns Hopkins University
to prevent transmission, but we really need
to avoid social separation,” she says.

Feelings of isolation can be overwhelming,
especially for extroverts and people who
thrive on mingling, such as teenagers
“Their whole goal is to interact—it’s part
of development,” says Gebo.

Families, including teens, need to be
active, get plenty of sleep and eat well. Gebo
also recommends meditating or finding
other healthy ways, such as reducing screen
time, to reduce anxiety.

“The mental health impact of this
pandemic is substantial,” she says, adding
that this could be particularly true as we
head into winter. When it’s darker and
colder, it is more important than ever to
find ways to engage with others and stay
connected. Socializing (from a distance) may be
Social impacts
important, but frankly, it can be stressful
Gebo recommends we continue physically
distancing while socially connecting. “During to go out with all these new rules to follow.

“Everything that was easy before now has
this time, we need to be physically separate
isolation? Are we potentially weaken our
immune systems? After all, we’ve been
limiting our exchanges with the world around
us for the past seven months. Will the lack
of challenges to our immune system bring
on more troubles with allergies, asthma or
autoimmune disease?
That’s another misconception I can put
to rest, according to Gebo. She explains
that we shouldn’t see more than typical
numbers, although people with those
diagnoses do need to take extra care to
avoid viruses.

“We are still exposed to environmental
factors—molds, pollens, rodent fecal
matter, etc.—those things do not change,
especially if we at least get out and walk
around outside (as we should),” she says.

10 more steps,” says Gebo, agreeing.

This virus has taxed people emotionally,
mentally and financially. It has strained
family relationships. People are exhausted
and tired of being afraid. But, Gebo says,
“Don’t be scared. Be safe.”
No stigma
Her final note is a good reminder for us all:
“It is also very important to not have a stigma
about COVID,” she says. “Stigma prevents
people from getting tested, because they
don’t want to be positive. They don’t want
to have to tell people, don’t want to have to
quarantine and don’t want to be blamed.”
But she says, “It is important to know,
and to let people know, to further protect
people.” We’re all doing what we can to keep
ourselves and our loved ones safe. It’s
hard—very hard, sometimes. Be kind to one
another, be safe and schedule your flu shot
today. T
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