August 31, 2020 – “The message to get vaccinated hasn’t been lost on many Americans who are already calling their doctors and pharmacists to schedule a flu shot appointment before the start of the 2020-2021 influenza season.
“…For both patients and healthcare providers, the flu vaccination is vital to protect public health as well as weed out potential COVID-19 cases. While a flu shot will not prevent COVID-19, patients receiving one could help clinicians eliminate guesswork and better differentiate between the viruses if symptoms develop—saving critical supplies in the process. As one example on the supply side, following past disease outbreaks such as SARS, H1N1 and Ebola, we typically see a 20% increase in syringe demand. And this year, vaccine manufacturers project that they will supply 194-198 million doses of the flu vaccine—a 9.7% to 11.6% increase from the record 175 million doses distributed for the 2019-20 flu season.
“With this season’s higher-than-normal demand for flu shots, it’s likely that more individuals will look to receive their vaccination earlier this year. That’s why Premier partners with hospitals and health systems across the country to ensure they have sufficient flu vaccine supply when…”
