At-risk groups are the same as for the coronavirus, infectologist says

Getting flu jab more important than before

Getting vaccinated against the flu is getting increased emphasis during the novel coronavirus epidemic because it can protect at-risk groups against at least one of the diseases, the head of the infectology department at the South Pest central hospital said

The flu season is approaching and at-risk groups are the same as for the coronavirus, such as the elderly, people with underlying medical conditions and those that recently had an operation, Janos Szlavik told public Kossuth Radio.

“The flu vaccine is already available so it is important to address people who usually do not get it but are in a risk group,” he added.

The flu shot is also important to doctors because it can help them factor out the flu when formulating a diagnosis, Szlavik said.

In response to a question he said waste water samples taken around Hungary indicated that the number of coronavirus infections could be on the rise in the next 4-10 days. He added that it was wrong to assume that the virus is not dangerous to younger people because they too could end up in intensive care and potentially die from it. Coronavirus mortality rates are much higher than the flu’s, he added.

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