Flu's Return Will Shape The Pandemic's Impact In Coming Months

A UK study released Thursday showed that it's safe for people to get COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time, which might help increase vaccine uptake.

Charting the course of the pandemic during the coming months is likely to involve a more traditional winter nuisance: the flu.

As countries from Italy to Canada lift restrictions, travel resumes and colder temperatures set in, influenza will probably start circulating as well. That's after measures to thwart COVID-19 such as masks and ventilation kept the flu at bay for the past year and a half.

Efforts have already been under way to lessen the potential strain on health systems dealing with both illnesses. A UK study released late Thursday showed that it's safe for people to get Covid and flu shots at the same time, which might help increase vaccine uptake and cut down on appointments as the country rolls out booster doses.

"This is a real concern for policy makers," Neil Ferguson, the Imperial College epidemiologist whose models are used by the UK government, said at a conference in Paris. "It's highly likely we will continue to see circulation of reasonably high levels of Covid through the winter, and having seasonal flu on top could pose again significant additional burdens on health systems."