Delaware health system seeing huge demand for flu shot

A Delaware health care system says it is seeing “overwhelming demand” for flu shots this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Beebe Healthcare has vaccinated more than 3,100 community members through 13 flu clinics, the Delaware State News reported Saturday. That’s about 75% of the total number of vaccinations Beebe recorded last year in more than 30 clinics.

This year’s total from Beebe doesn’t include its team members. More than 2,200 were vaccinated in a 48-hour period in September, according to the newspaper.

“We’ve seen an overwhelming demand for flu shots from the community this year, which is really encouraging considering how important being vaccinated is with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Bill Chasanov, clinical transformation officer and infectious disease physician at Beebe Healthcare.

Health officials and medical groups are urging people to get either the flu shot or nasal spray, so that doctors and hospitals don’t face the extra strain of having to treat influenza in the midst of the pandemic.

Last year Delaware had more than 7,000 cases of the flu, with 400 individuals hospitalized and 11 recorded deaths.