Connecticut officials urged residents to get vaccinated this week as they reported the state’s first two deaths caused by influenza and noted that about 15 to 20 people still die of COVID-19 every week.
Dr. Manisha Juthani, the state’s public health commissioner, said the two flu deaths were an adult over 90 years old and an infant. “[The] 2-month-old is not eligible for a vaccine, and it breaks my heart to hear that for that family of that newborn,” she said.
“Every time respiratory viral disease season starts, we lean into the fact that everybody six months and older should get a flu shot,” she added.
Gov. Ned Lamont, who received his flu and COVID-19 vaccinations in a press conference this week, said getting vaccinated could help prevent another outbreak.
“Now that we have a way to deal with COVID doesn’t mean that COVID has gone away. It’s still out there. It’s still infecting people, but we can keep you out of the hospital. We can keep you safe,” he said.
Although the pandemic is over, Juthani said there are still cases of COVID-19 throughout the state.
“Eighty-eight percent of people who ended up in the hospital in the last COVID season hadn’t had an updated COVID shot,” she said. “Even before our season really took off, 15 to 20 people have been dying of COVID every single week. And these deaths are most pronounced in people 60 and older.”
According to the state Department of Public Health’s Viral Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard, COVID-19 cases greatly outnumber both influenza and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which also causes cold-like symptoms.
So far, there have been 15,567 cases of COVID-19, 252 cases of the flu and 258 cases of RSV, according to the season case count from the health department.
The CDC’s COVID Data Tracker shows that COVID-19 cases spiked earlier this year in January, coinciding with the last respiratory viral disease season.
“Many people had COVID this summer. Many people had COVID early this fall, and people may say: ‘Well, do I really need a COVID shot again? You know, I’ve gotten a lot of those shots,’” Juthani said. “Well, guess what? Getting vaccinated again for COVID — it’s really a yearly shot — is the best way to keep yourself protected.”
In a press release, officials noted the federal government is once again offering four free COVID-19 self-tests per household through covidtests.gov.
Juthani was not the only state official to push for vaccinations. Hartford Chief Operating Officer Olusegun “Shay” Ajayi also encouraged residents to be proactive in their health at the press conference.
“I encourage you to look out for the vaccination clinics that are around you, the drug stores that are around you as well as the health departments that are around you. It truly does not take much time at all,” Ajayi said.
He emphasized the importance of vaccinations on a community level, not just for individuals. “It’s not about individual protection and I cannot emphasize that enough, it’s more. It’s also about protecting your community members and your loved ones. By getting vaccinated, we are standing together.”
Juthani said infants and older adults are at the most risk for respiratory viral diseases.
Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, the director of health and human services in Hartford, echoed the sentiments of other officials present at the event this week.
“Immunization is a global health success story. We basically are saving millions of lives every single year. Vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that have historically harmed or killed babies, children and adults,” she said.
“In the city of Hartford alone, with many urban and rural populations. We are dealing with major health disparities,” she said. “Many of our community members are suffering from various comorbidities like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, which are all associated with decreased quality of life and poorer health outcomes. So, vaccines again, are reducing risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to build protection.”
“We’re standing together against these viruses and we’re much stronger when we can all work together and do our part. So, I again cannot urge you enough to do your part in our role and standing together. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and improve our health and well-being one vaccine at a time,” Ajayi said.