Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon got a flu shot Thursday morning and posted photos of the action on his Facebook page.
The governor urged citizens to follow suit citing the presence of the coronavirus in the state.
“Flu shots are particularly important this year as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory offers testing that can detect influenza or COVID-19 from the same sample,” Gordon said.
If this seems like common sense, it’s not a unanimous sentiment in the state of Wyoming.
According to a recent study, Wyoming has 48th lowest flu vaccination coverage rate among adults in the U.S. and is dead last for flu vaccinations for children 17 and under.
Some medical experts are worried that the flu and the coronavirus could form an “unhealthy alliance” and pack hospitals this year.
To that end, there is a reported flu vaccine shortage in China as people are afraid of “twindemic.”
“In Beijing, clinics have reported serious shortages and elsewhere in the country residents complain they have not been able to get the shots,” The Guardian reported.
Gordon said flu shots are safe and help reduce illness, hospitalizations and deaths.
“They are available throughout Wyoming at public health nursing offices, workplaces, doctors’ offices and pharmacies,” he said.
Wyoming’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Alexia Harrist, echoed the governor’s remarks adding that because of fewer coronavirus restrictions issued by the state, she is increasingly concerned.
“As we approach a new flu season, we know flu viruses will circulate while COVID-19 remains a threat,” she said. “Because there are fewer restrictions in Wyoming now than in the spring, we are concerned about the potential harm to our residents and strain on our healthcare system from the combined threat of both influenza and COVID-19.”
