Does getting the flu with COVID double your risk of death? - Al Jazeera English

Many countries, including the United Kingdom, also saw record numbers of people come forward for the flu vaccine during this time – motivated in part by fears of contracting COVID and flu at the same time.

There is a real worry that this year we could see more people than ever become infected with flu – and that many could get flu and COVID at the same time.

The flu and COVID-19 are serious illnesses – both can kill, and getting them at the same time increases your risk of becoming seriously unwell.

To help mitigate this risk, many countries have rolled out an ambitious flu vaccine campaign and many Western countries have combined this with encouraging people to either take up the COVID vaccines if they have not already or to come forward for booster shots if they are eligible.

During an acute flu infection, the immune system can become weakened while fighting off the virus; if you were to then get another infection like COVID-19 at the same time, the risk of long-term organ damage and death increases.

Speaking to Sky News on October 10, UK Health Security Agency chief executive, Dr Jenny Harries, said people who catch flu and COVID at the same time this winter are twice as likely to die than those who only have the coronavirus.

But there are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting flu and COVID at the same time.

Although it is harder to predict this year, generally the flu vaccine can reduce your risk of illness by 40-60 percent.

The flu and COVID-19 are serious illnesses – both can kill, and getting them at the same time increases your risk of becoming seriously unwell.

The UK National Health Service (NHS) is encouraging pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine as new data shows that nearly 20 percent of the most critically ill COVID patients are pregnant women who have not been vaccinated.

Pregnant women with COVID-19 have a 76 percent increased risk of pre-eclampsia, a potentially fatal complication of pregnancy; and soberingly, maternal deaths associated with COVID have been noted to be 22 times higher than those in non-infected pregnant women.

It is well established now that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) are indeed safe for pregnant women to take, and the risk of getting the virus outweighs any potential risks from the vaccines.

Still, there remain high levels of hesitation among pregnant women and those planning to get pregnant when it comes to taking up the COVID vaccine.

But we must also hold our hands up to the fact that there was a delay in approving the vaccines for pregnant women at the start of the rollout, leading to inconsistent messaging and confusion.

But the delay in getting this safety data for the COVID vaccines meant the pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy were told they could not have the vaccine.

The focus now must be on repeatedly reminding unvaccinated pregnant women that the vaccines are safe and effective.

Although COVID restrictions are easing worldwide, this virus is still very much out there and vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, remain at high risk.

During the initial rollout of the COVID vaccines, we were advised to wait seven to 14 days before getting another type of vaccine, but this has since been revised as more evidence has emerged.