Our office is offering the flu vaccine to our obstetric and postpartum patients only at this time. You may also contact your PCP, local health department, or any local pharmacy and request a flu shot.
This year it is more important than ever to receive a flu shot, even if you do not typically get one. Both the influenza virus, which causes the flu, and the coronavirus, which is responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic, are respiratory viruses. Both viruses have similar early symptoms and because of this Nash-OBGYN, and several other local health care facilities, are having to change the way we typically care for patients with flu symptoms. Effective immediately, patients with fever and/or respiratory symptoms will not be able to be seen in our office as we cannot determine if those symptoms are due to flu or coronavirus in the office.
We will be recommending any patient with either flu or coronavirus symptoms go to the Emergency Room or a drive through flu/coronavirus testing center (should one become available in the future) where safe evaluation of such patients can be performed.
By getting the flu shot now, you can protect yourself from influenza. This will decrease your risk of needless COVID-19 evaluation and testing as well as risks of developing symptoms that can be similar to COVID-19. Furthermore, while getting a flu shot will not prevent you from getting COVD-19 it might reduce your risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19. It is possible to get both flu and COVID-19 at the same time and if your body is already fighting one virus, having both at once might make it harder for your immune system to fight off the infections and put you at risk for severe complications.
For more information on the flu vaccine this year please see the following links below.
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