COLUMBUS, Ohio — Influenza season normally starts in October, so physicians like Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center say getting vaccinated is more important now than ever because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What You Need To Know

  • Flu season typically starts in October

  • Precautions for COVID-19 may reduce the spread of influenza as well

  • Doctors recommend everyone gets a flu vaccine this year

  • Getting both viruses could lead to severe symptoms

“We're still battling with this pandemic,” Gonsenhauser said. “We will continue battling with this pandemic for the foreseeable future, and anything we can do to lessen the burden is a worthwhile investment. The flu vaccine is definitely one of those things.”

However, he said getting the flu vaccine will not protect someone from COVID-19.

“It's not something that boosts sort of your general immune system in a way that's going to help you fight off something different," the doctor explained. "It really is a very targeted to vaccine that targets the influenza virus specifically.”

While the battle continues with this pandemic, the precautions people are taking could result in less spread of the flu.

“It's kind of an epidemiologists dream, it's kind of a family doc or a PCP's dream also when it comes to flu season," Dr. Gonsenhauser said. "These are all the things that we know work against most respiratory or droplet viruses, of which the flu is one.”

While Dr. Gonsenhauser said data is limited regarding how often co-infection may happen, meaning having both COVID-19 and influenza at the same time or right after each other, he does worry about the people who have suffered lasting respiratory effects from COVID-19.

“If during their recovery they're also exposed to the flu and they experienced the flu virus and the flu illness, we don't know exactly what that's going to look like and it's definitely a concern that it could be serious," he warned.

Because COVID-19 and flu symptoms are hard to differentiate, the doctors said anyone with such symptoms should expect to first be treated as though they have COVID-19 and to quarantine.

People are encouraged to reach out to their doctor for instructions on what medical professionals want the person to do next regarding testing and treatment.