Coronavirus: Pharmacies braced for rush on flu vaccines amid fears of second wave in autumn

‘We’re in for a double-barrelled assault this fall,’ says Vanderbilt University Medical Centre infectious disease expert Dr William Schaffner

US pharmacy chains are preparing for a sharp uptake in flu vaccinations later in the year, amid fears of a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak.

The organisations who own CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and Rite Aid have all said that they are expecting a surge in flu shots, according to Reuters.

They will all be increasing their orders for the vaccinations later in the year, to make sure that anyone who needs one, will be able to receive a shot.

Vaccine maker Seqirus told the outlet that the demand for flu vaccinations has gone up 10 per cent this year, and GlaxoSmithKline revealed that they are ready to increase production.

Although the flu shot does not protect against coronavirus, officials have said vaccinating against it will help healthcare facilities manage the load if the US is hit with a second wave of Covid-19 patients.

The CDC estimated that in the 2019-2020 flu season, there were up to 740,000 people hospitalised with the flu, and between 24,000 to 62,000 deaths.

Vanderbilt University Medical Centre infectious disease expert Dr William Schaffner, told Reuters that “we’re in for a double-barrelled assault this fall and winter with flu and Covid. Flu is the one you can do something about.”

David Ross, Seqirus’ vice president of commercial operations for North America, added: “As we look at immunisation this coming fall, it will play an enormous role in this battle against Covid-19.”

In Australia, which is already in its flu season, drive through centres have been set up, in order to administer mass vaccinations and ease the burden on hospitals.

Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Centre for Immunisation and Respiratory Disease, added that medical centres in the US may need to to set up drive through clinics in time for Autumn.

“My goal is that every single vaccine dose that gets made gets into somebody’s arm to protect them. I don’t want any vaccines left on the shelves or in doctors’ offices,” Ms Messonnier told the outlet.

The flu shot does not protect everybody that gets it, because its specific formula is chosen months before it is ready for immunisation, but Ms Messonnier said that more vaccinations will help burden the load on hospitals.

“Even if it protects 35 to 40 percent of the population, it’s a lot better than zero,” she said.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 1.6 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 98,371.