CLEVELAND — Heading into flu season, health officials are urging people to get a flu shot early this year.

What You Need To Know

  • The flu shot doesn't prevent coronavirus, but it does help keep the lungs healthy

  • Officials said everyone should get the shot no matter their age

  • Officials said people should continue wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing to keep safe against the flu

A doctor spoke about why it’s so important to get the shot this year amid the pandemic.

“As you know, the symptoms of the flu and coronavirus overlap a lot, and so being able to protect the resources in terms of testing and hospital beds it's going to be really important that as many people that can stay healthy from the flu do that," said Dr. Claudia Hoyen of University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Dr. Hoyen said people need to be especially careful this year because it is possible to have the flu and coronavirus at the same time, and if that happens, a person could have a more difficult time recovering. Dr. Hoyen stressed the flu vaccine won’t keep people safe from getting coronavirus but it’ll help keep their lungs healthier if they do get COVID-19.

“Both of the viruses really attack the same areas in your body with the lungs being the primary area for both of them,” Dr. Hoyen said. “So imagine if you were to have a serious case of the flu, which would put you at more risk for other types of pneumonia later on, and then you were to get coronavirus on top of that you may end up doing much worse."

Another change this year is who should get the flu shot. In past years, health officials urged the elderly and young children to get the shot and only recommended the rest of the population to get the shot. This year Dr. Hoyen said everyone should get the shot no matter their age.

“As we know from what we’ve seen that there have certainly been people who are in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s who have become very ill with the coronavirus and even young kids and other kids,” Dr. Hoyen said. “You know, we don’t have that crystal ball. We don’t know which individual is going to have complications from the coronavirus and so at this point I would just say anyone who can get a flu shot this year really should.”

Dr. Hoyen said taking the same measures being taken to stay safe from COVID-19, such as, washing hands, wearing a mask, and social distancing, are all measures that may be taken to stay safe from the flu, as well.