With September comes the beginning of flu season, but the Wyoming Department of Health isn’t quite sure what to expect this fall with regards to the virus with the mix of the coronavirus.
With the Delta variant of COVID-19 continuing to boost the number of active cases across the state, the department will continue encouraging vaccinations, not only for COVID, but the flu as well.
“We do not have a prediction for what to expect with regards to influenza for the coming season,” spokeswoman Kim Deti told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday. ” We expect to encourage everyone over the age of six months to get a vaccination to help prevent influenza when the shots are available to them.”
She added that it is safe to get both a flu and COVID vaccine at the same time.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many Wyoming residents received a flu vaccine last season.
Last flu season, the department saw a fraction of the normal number of flu-related cases among Wyoming residents due to mask mandates and pandemic-related shutdowns. In January, Deti told Cowboy State Daily that flu cases were “extremely” low, down to nearly 10% of normal numbers.
“We are receiving sporadic reports of both Influenza A and Influenza B strains,” she said at the time. “The precautions intended to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as the changes in people’s activities are likely a factor behind lower flu activity.”
The state has not yet published its 2019-2020 flu season summary report.
Just over 35% of the state is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
