Pharmacies are bracing for a surge in demand for flu shots amid the Covid-19 pandemic

Pharmacies are bracing for a surge in flu shot demand amid pandemic Health experts say it will be crucial to achieve widespread flu vaccination to curb the added strain during the pandemic. Priyanka Runwal STAT

With flu season fast approaching, and the Covid-19 pandemic raging on, hospitals and pharmacies across the country are stockpiling far more flu vaccines than normal, anticipating a surge in demand.

The drug store chain Rite Aid has purchased 40% more influenza vaccines than other years to meet an expected uptick in demand. Walgreens has also increased its flu vaccine stockpile this year, anticipating a 30% to 50% jump in customers who will want flu shots or other immunizations, the company’s chief medical officer told STAT. And Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told lawmakers in a hearing this week that the agency had ordered an additional 9.3 million adult flu vaccines this year. Redfield said widespread flu vaccine coverage “could help our nation avert a very difficult fall.”

“Flu is a critical moment in time in the healthcare industry,” said Christopher Savarese, director of operations for Rite Aid. “This year is one of the most important — if not the most important — flu season in our generation.”

Both flu and Covid-19 lead to respiratory symptoms, and a severe case of either can land someone in the hospital. Given how Covid-19 has already stretched resources at many hospitals, health experts say it will be crucial to achieve widespread flu vaccination to curb the added strain. But they’re also staring down significant challenges, from environmental disasters and prevalent vaccine misinformation to fears about in-person visits to health care facilities.

Even in normal times, flu season has the potential to strain the health care system. Between 9 million and 45 million people are infected with the flu each year, and between 140,000 and 810,000 are hospitalized, according to CDC estimates. In 2018, the U.S. recorded its highest death toll from the flu in recent history, with 80,000 deaths. ...