Practice Management Alert

Question: We’ve been so slammed by COVID-19 that flu season has snuck up on us. Is there a solid resource I can utilize as a quick but in-depth reference guide to catch up and be prepared, especially since we’ll be dealing with both influenza and coronavirus this year?

South Dakota Subscriber

Answer: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its provider resources on administering flu vaccines to the public in an Oct. 20 release, highlighting new strategies, tips, and recommendations. In its guidance, the CDC offers a plethora of COVID-19-specific pointers for flu clinic set-ups. The update includes:

• Pre-planning assistance and checklists, including rundowns of required supplies like extra masks for patients, personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, and social-distancing protocols.
• Advice on storage and handling vaccinations during a pandemic.
• Pre-administration tips that advise on necessary questions for patients before immunization.
• Flu-shot deferral insight for dealing with asymptomatic or recovering COVID-19 patients.

Bonus: Some extremely handy tools and brochures will help you to circumvent beneficiaries’ fears about the myriad of flu strains versus COVID-19 — and how the viruses differ. Plus, the CDC materials explain in detail why getting a flu shot this year doesn’t increase the chance of getting a coronavirus, but rather helps to decrease a patient’s risk of developing a parallel respiratory illness. This is particularly important after a study came out in January wrongly suggesting that immunizations might increase patients’ chances of contracting COVID-19.

Resource: Review the provider guidance at www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm.