CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over the past week, flu cases have continued to climb across the country and here in the Carolinas. According to the CDC, both North Carolina and South Carolina are experiencing very high flu activity.
This flu season started much earlier than usual, but it's not too late to get your flu shot.
Hospital beds in the Carolinas are filling up with flu patients, and this year’s season is the worst we’ve seen in a decade. Doctors say most of the people admitted to the hospital haven’t gotten their annual flu shot.
“You should plan to get it now, it's not too late. In addition to protecting against infection, both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines can protect people from the downstream effects of those infections,” Novant Health, Dr. David Priest said.
That includes a heart attack or stroke. Research shows cardiovascular deaths spike around the same time as the flu.
Doctors often find a patient presenting with a heart attack will have just gotten over a viral infection.
“It’s pretty well established that viral infections in the right patient, the right vulnerable patient who has comorbidities, maybe diabetes has had heart disease in the past, is going to predispose them to inflammation, stressing their blood vessels, and then subsequent, you know, heart attacks and strokes,” Priest said.
Getting the flu shot significantly lowers that risk. Plus, this year’s vaccine is effective at treating the strain circulating in the community.
“Set yourself up for holiday success because the last thing you want to do is have to go to the emergency room or worse yet have a heart attack that could change the prognosis of your life forever,” cardiologist, Dr. Payal Kohli, said.
Doctors say don’t put it off much longer, full protection comes two weeks after the shot.
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