NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A nationwide spike in flu cases has doctors and pharmacists scrambling.
And the patients getting hit the hardest? Young people.
“Zero to 18. When you look at the graphs and the rise of the cases, they have the steepest rise,” said New Orleans Health Department Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno.
While doctors struggle to keep up with patients, pharmacies are seeing their own problems with the spread.
Staff at many locations, such as Majoria Drugs on Metairie Road, say they’re running out of certain flu medications.
“We’ve used up all the Tamiflu. We had a good supply, and we’re going to try to get some more for tomorrow, but everybody else in the area is trying to get a lot. So, hopefully, there will be enough to go around,” said Majoria Drugs Pharmacist Brian Guidry.
To make matters worse, Avegno says she has seen a decrease in the number of people willing to take the flu vaccine over the past few years due to mistrust.
“Unfortunately, because there were so many myths and quite frankly inaccurate and wrong information put out about the COVID vaccine, what we’re seeing now is an increased mistrust in all vaccines, not just flu but childhood vaccines,” said Avegno.
However, with Mardi Gras around the corner, Avegno says to trust the doctors and get the vaccine as soon as possible, as it is not too late to do so.
“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot now, they are widely available at pharmacies across the area. It is not hard to get them. Getting them now sets you up for much better protection to have a safer and healthier Mardi Gras,” said Avegno.
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