‘Everybody needs to get a flu shot this year,’ STHS chief medical officer says

By Mike Scott, mscott@stph.org 

Winter is coming – which means flu season is coming, too. 

And if you’re wondering whether you should bother getting your flu shot, Dr. Patrick Torcson, the chief medical officer at St. Tammany Health System, removed any doubt during a recent guest spot on The Lake 94.7-FM.

“Everybody needs to get a flu shot this year,” Torcson said. “There should be no deliberation: ‘Am I in a high-risk group? Am I not?’ Every citizen should get a flu shot.”

That’s good advice even in an ordinary year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 35.5 million Americans contracted the flu in the 2018-2019 flu season, the most recent season for which finalized data was available. Of those, 34,200 are estimated to have died.

During last year’s flu season, which ran from October 2019 to April 2020, the CDC’s preliminary figures estimate 39 million to 56 million contracted the flu, with 24,000 to 62,000 of those cases resulting in death.

All that being said, this year is no ordinary year. With COVID-19 concerns still running high, and with many experts predicting a surge in cases this fall and winter, Torcson said it’s particularly important for people to protect themselves and to avoid putting an undue strain on the nation’s medical infrastructure. 

“It’s going to be very confusing and difficult to sort it out if we get a very active flu season while we’re still fighting with this pandemic,” Torcson said.

Ideally, he added, people should try to get their flu shot by Oct. 15, given that it takes two weeks or so for the antibodies to “kick in,” so to speak. But if it takes until the end of October or early November, that’s probably good enough – and certainly better than not getting one at all. 

“Get your flu shot,” Torcson said. “It’s not too early.”

St. Tammany Health System clinical facilities are equipped to administer flu shots. Call 985-898-4001 or visit STPH.org/schedule-now to arrange an appointment.