The first positive case was reported on October 6, and as of November 15, there have been 528 cases of influenza diagnosed by the University Health Service (UHS). The cases have surged higher in the past two weeks, with 313 cases (37 percent of cases testing positive) the week of November 8 and 198 cases (27 percent of cases testing positive) the week of November 1. The majority of the campus cases — 77 percent — are in people who have not gotten the flu vaccine, according to health officials. “Through prompt detection and collaboration with county and state health officials, as well as School of Public Health and Michigan Medicine researchers, we quickly identified these cases as influenza A(H3N2) virus infections,” said Lindsey Mortenson, the UHS’s medical director and acting executive director, in the release. “Partnering with the CDC will accelerate our understanding of how this flu season may unfold regionally and nationally in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The timing of the spike in cases is concerning because many students have plans to travel “to destinations across the country and globe” over the Thanksgiving holiday, per the release. “We are very lucky that we had a light influenza season last year during the darkest times of COVID-19,” says Seth Cohen, MD, the medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. “This year is different. We’re no longer in lockdown, kids are back to school, people are traveling more, and there is less mask use, so I expect to see more cases of influenza this year,” he says.
Strain of Michigan Flu Outbreak Is Included in This Year’s Flu Shot
This outbreak looks to be quite explosive, which is what caught the attention of the CDC, says Dr. Cohen. “It appears to be caused by influenza A, and it should be noted that influenza A is a component of this year’s flu shot. The vast majority of people who have tested positive in Michigan are not vaccinated. The vaccine is not perfect, but it does significantly reduce your chances of getting the flu and getting hospitalized or dying of the flu,” he says. Although there is still a lot to learn about the outbreak, there are a few take-home messages so far, says Cohen. “What’s happening at the University of Michigan shows that influenza is completely unpredictable if we let down our guard, and this can happen in many other communities, especially if vaccination rates are low,” he says. According to data collected from November 4 to 8 by the CDC, 40.9 percent of adults 18 and older have received a flu vaccine, 17.6 percent plan to get it, and close to 40 percent are unsure or don’t plan to get it.
Investigators Hope to Uncover How Flu Cases Are Linked
“It will be interesting to see how these cases are linked and find out more. Are these people living in communal situations? What are the masking behaviors?” asks Cohen. Mask wearing, in general, is protective against influenza, but no intervention is perfect, he adds. This year the University of Michigan broke an enrollment record as the overall student body topped 50,000 for the first time ever, because of “an admissions season marked by skyrocketing student interest and the ongoing global pandemic,” according to a university release. Although students are not required to live on campus, about 97 percent of first-year students choose to live in university housing, according to the university housing website.
Surges in Flu Cases Could Add More Stress to the Healthcare System
The flu vaccine protects against hospitalization and death due to the flu, says Cohen. “In addition to wanting to reduce hospitalization and deaths, it’s important to remember the context. We have so many people with COVID-19 in our hospitals right now, and any surge in patients with influenza is only going to further strain our healthcare system and potentially impede our ability to care for these patients, as well as others who are seeking care at this time,” he says.
It’s Safe to Get Both the Flu Shot and the COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get vaccinated every season, with rare exceptions. The CDC advises people to get vaccinated by the end of October, though getting a flu vaccine anytime during the flu season can be beneficial. Once you’re vaccinated, it takes a couple of weeks for your immune system to produce antibodies (proteins in the blood that fight infection). It’s not only safe and recommended to be immunized against COVID-19 and the flu, you can get both shots in the same visit, per the CDC. Even people who consider themselves low risk should roll up their sleeve and get immunized, says Cohen. “At this time in our society, having any respiratory illness basically shuts off your productivity if you’re somebody who goes to work or school. It just makes so much sense to get vaccinated for both COVID-19 and influenza to reduce your chances of having any respiratory illness,” he says. When younger and healthier “low risk” people get vaccinated, it also helps lower the chance that others, including more vulnerable people, will get ill, adds Cohen.
