Health officials say a severe flu season could be coming

Flu season is on the way, and while in the midst of a pandemic experts are strongly recommending getting a flu shot. They say that this flu season could be severe.

But still there are those who haven’t considered getting a flu shot. Hennepin HealthCare’s Nan Lomen says, "I think there are two camps. There’s are those who are like ‘yes I’m going to get vaccinated cause I always do and I don’t want to get the flu’ and then those who are like eh, you know I didn’t get the flu last year so maybe I won’t get one."

With a more interactive summer officials are warning those of a more dangerous flu season, especially when it comes to hospital space. "It’s even more important this year because our hospitals are really full with COVID patients. So you don’t want to get influenza, many people do end up in the hospital for care.”

And besides getting sick there are some other external consequences that come with becoming infected by the flu. Nan Lomen says, "You could lose a week of work your kids could be home from a week or two from school. So there are just lots of reasons to get vaccinated this year.”

With health at the forefront on people’s minds there seems to be more and more people getting their shot. “We are seeing really good turnout at our sites. And you know again, we work really hard to make it convenient”, says Lomen.