Health

Leptospirosis cases surge in NYC: What to know about the rat-spread infectious disease

New York City has reported an increase in human cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that the city reports has been spread by rats.

In a late September advisory, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported that 14 cases of human leptospirosis had been identified this year, a number it said was more than the total number reported to the city’s health department in any previous year.

Cases had been identified in all boroughs except Staten Island with “no obvious clustering.”

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Thirteen out of the 14 people were hospitalized with acute renal and hepatic failure and two of the patients reportedly also had severe pulmonary involvement.

One person died as a result of infection and all others were treated and discharged.

Three of those infected were reported to be experiencing homelessness and one person was traveling when infected.

Most of the cases had a “clear history or risk factor” that exposed them to an environment with a severe rat infestation, the advisory noted.

A rat runs along the High Line Park on Sept. 22, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

A health official reportedly told Insider that there was a 15th case of the zoonotic disease last week and that the person infected appears to have recovered.

The department’s Division of Disease Control Deputy Commissioner Celia Quinn noted that the health department had been conducting inspections and working with property owners to conduct rat remediation.

Last May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that rats were likely to become more aggressive due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department said New York City has documented a total of 57 cases between 2006 and 2020.

In 2017, a Bronx neighborhood was targeted by the health department after one person died and two others became severely ill from leptospirosis, including a man with the first documented case of testicular swelling associated with the disease.

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Animals and pets can also fall ill and New York issued a veterinary medical alert that same year.

The Big Apple is home to millions of rats and placed third on Orkin’s list of America’s “Rattiest Cities,” behind Chicago and Los Angeles.

According to the CDC, leptospirosis infection in humans happens through contact with urine from infected animals or other bodily fluids – with the exception of saliva – or contact with water, soil or food contaminated with the urine of infected animals.

Symptoms of the disease include high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea and a rash. However, some people may experience no symptoms at all.

Three rats scavenge for food on the subway platform at Herald Square Sept. 3, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

The time between a person’s exposure to the contaminated source and becoming sick ranges from two days to four weeks.

After the first phase of the disease, the patient may recover but become ill again and the second phase is more severe, leading to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress and death.

The illness lasts anywhere from a few days to more than three weeks and recovery could take several months without treatment.

Leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or penicillin, which should be given early on in the course of the disease.

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People can reduce the risk of acquiring the illness by not swimming in contaminated water or eliminating contact with potentially infected animals.

The agency noted that leptospirosis is most common in temperate or tropical climates and that incidence of leptospirosis infection among urban children appears to be increasing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CDC study: Pfizer vaccine is 93% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization in youths

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 93% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization in youth, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

The CDC said that among hospitalized patients in the U.S. ages 12 to 18 years, the effectiveness of two doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 hospitalization from June through September of this year was 93%.

The findings of the study, the agency said, could help to reinforce the importance of vaccination to protect U.S. youths against the virus.

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In order to reach these conclusions, the CDC looked at this effectiveness in a test-negative, case-control study at 19 pediatric hospitals in 16 states, including 179 hospitalized case-patients and 285 controls.

Forty-three percent of the case-patients were admitted into an intensive care unit, 16% received life support during hospitalization and 2% of those critically ill patients died.

The agency noted that all 29 critically ill case patients and both deaths occurred among unvaccinated case patients.

Seventy-two percent of those analyzed had at least one underlying condition, including obesity, and 68% attended in-person school.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses are prepared for members of the community 12 years and up, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at a clinic held by Community of Hope, outside the Washington School for Girls in southeast Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The case patients were hospitalized with symptomatic COVID-19-like illness and a positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction or antigen test result.

Information regarding baseline demographic characteristics, clinical information about the current illness and SARS-CoV-2 testing history were obtained through parent or guardian interviews as well as the review of electronic medical records.

Patients were considered to have received COVID-19 vaccination based on source documentation or by plausible self-report, though neither the Moderna vaccine nor the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were authorized for people less than 18 years of age at the time of the evaluation.

The study notably included persons categorized as unvaccinated or fully vaccinated and patients with partial vaccinated were discluded from the analysis.

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The researchers used “descriptive statistics” to compare the characteristics of case patients and controls, including Pearson chi-square tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum test and vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization, which was calculated by comparing the odds of full COVID-19 vaccination among case patients and controls, determined from logistic regression models.

Models were adjusted for the U.S. Census region, the calendar month of hospital admission, age, sex and race/ethnicity. While underlying health conditions and social vulnerability index were also assessed, they were not included in the final model because they did not change the odds ratio of vaccination by more than 5%.

Sensitivity analyses were performed and vaccine effectiveness was also stratified by age groups in addition to statistical analysis that was reviewed by the agency and other participating institutions.

Case patients more frequently resided in areas with higher social vulnerability, and vaccination coverage was 3% among case patients and 33% among controls.

Diabetes was more prevalent among case patients, while neurologic or neuromuscular disorders were more prevalent among controls.

While the findings were reportedly consistent with efficacy data from the Pfizer/BioNTech clinical trial among persons ages 12–15 years, the CDC wrote that that trial had not been powered to assess efficacy against hospitalized COVID-19.

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The CDC pointed out that, as of Monday, 46% of U.S. children and adolescents 12–15 years old and 54% of those 16–17 years old were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“These data suggest that increasing vaccination coverage among this group could reduce the incidence of severe COVID-19 in the United States. Further, as in-person school attendance increases, multicomponent preventive measures to reduce the incidence of severe COVID-19 among adolescents, including vaccination, are imperative,” the researchers concluded.

The White House announced Wednesday that children 5 to 11 years old would be able to get a Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 shot in a matter of weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

FDA may approve mixing and matching COVID-19 booster shots

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to allow the mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses this week, according to reports.

The forthcoming announcement by the agency is anticipated as the campaign for additional shots continues and as more Americans head back for a third jab.

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The Associated Press reported on Tuesday – citing an anonymous U.S. health official familiar with the matter – that the news would likely be put out alongside the authorization for boosters of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots, though the FDA was still predicted to say that using the same brand for a booster was the preferable option and especially for mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

The FDA declined to comment.

Last month, regulators OK’d a third dose for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for many Americans and last week the U.S. said it would recognize combinations of vaccines administered overseas for the purpose of entering the country.

In this March 3, 2021 file photo, a vial of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is displayed at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

While receiving a different COVID-19 vaccine booster from the one initially received could simplify the booster process – in addition to allowing those with adverse reactions to the initial dose to try a different shot – questions remain.

Moderna has applied for its booster to be half of the original dose, but a National Institutes of Health study of booster combinations used full-strength extra doses.

FDA PANEL ENDORSES JOHNSON & JOHNSON COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER WITH 2-MONTH GAP FOR AGES 18 AND UP

Preliminary results found that an extra dose of any type increases the amount of virus-fighting antibodies, with recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination showing the most remarkable response.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that vaccine providers could also use their discretion to offer a different brand.

The newspaper said that the FDA was projected to authorize the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters by Wednesday night and that a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee would take up the topic on Thursday before issuing its own recommendations.

The Times said that officials are expected to authorize a booster of Moderna’s vaccine about six months after the second shot and a Johnson & Johnson booster would be allowed at least two months after the first dose.

They also pointed out that the mix and match study’s researchers warned against using findings to conclude that any single combination of vaccines was better than the others.

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All of this comes after lengthy deliberation about the need for boosters shots at all, as vaccines in the U.S. remain effective against hospitalization and death from the virus and its delta variant.

More than 189 million Americans are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Broken heart diagnoses on the rise in the US: study

Hearts are breaking at rising rates, researchers have found.

The life-threatening medical condition known as broken heart syndrome is being reported at increasing rates, according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

The temporary condition, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, causes the heart muscle to become suddenly weakened and generally happens following a period of severe emotional or physical stress. While potentially life-threatening, most people recover within two months.

The disturbing study published Wednesday found that both men and women have been steadily increasing broken heart syndrome at rising rates during recent years, with women 50 to 74 seeing the sharpest increases.

Symptoms of a heart attack can differ for men and women. (iStock)

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Indeed, the analysis of 135,463 cases of broken heart syndrome reported in U.S. hospitals from 2006 to 2017 discovered that women make up 88.3 percent of all cases and that older women experienced it at a rate six to 12 times higher than younger women and men.

“These skyrocketing rates are both intriguing and concerning,” senior study author Dr. Susan Cheng told American Heart Association News of her and her team’s findings. They believe that overall stress, the end of menopause and technology might contribute to older women having such uniquely high rates.

“As we advance in age and take on more life and work responsibilities, we experience higher stress levels,” she said. “And with increasing digitization around every aspect of our lives, environmental stressors have also intensified.”

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Study authors worked exclusively with pre-pandemic data, but believe that COVID-19 has likely caused a further rise in rates of the condition, one that may be unmeasurable due to many broken hearts going undiagnosed or reported.

“We know there have been profound effects on the heart-brain connection during the pandemic. We are at the tip of the iceberg in terms of measuring what those are,” Cheng told the publication.

Click here to read more on the New York Post.

FDA issues proposal to create new category of over-the-counter hearing aids

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal Tuesday to create a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids in an effort to improve access and lower costs for millions of Americans.

Once finalized, the rule would allow the hearing aids to be sold to consumers in stores and online without a medical exam or a fitting by an audiologist. It would apply to certain air-conduction hearing aids intended for adults age 18 and older who have mild to moderate hearing loss.

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The Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal Tuesday in an effort to provide over-the-counter hearing aids. (iStock)

Hearing aids for severe hearing loss and for people younger than 18 would still require a prescription.

“Reducing health care costs for everyone in America is a top priority,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Today’s move by FDA takes us one step closer to the goal of making hearing aids more accessible and affordable for the tens of millions of people who experience mild to moderate hearing loss.”

The FDA proposal implements a provision from the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act, which was part of the 2017 FDA Reauthorization Act.

This May 2010 photo shows Zahra Baker, 10, getting a hearing aid at an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (AP/File)

Around 37.5 million Americans have some trouble hearing, the FDA said. Of that, only one-fifth of people use a hearing aid.

The rule is intended to remove barriers such as costs and the social stigma related to hearing loss, the agency said.

“The rule aims to facilitate innovation and increase competition by lowering the barriers to entry for new hearing aid manufacturers,” it said.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal Tuesday in an effort to provide over-the-counter hearing aids. (iStock)

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Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., applauded the FDA action, calling it “terrific news.”

“We’ve just cleared a major regulatory hurdle for over-the-counter hearing aids,” the senators said in a joint statement. “Soon, millions of people with mild to moderate hearing loss will finally have lower cost hearing aid options – and more options mean more competition in the market, further driving down the cost for consumers.”

Both lawmakers sent the FDA a letter last week calling for regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids without delay.

Front-line health care worker shortage due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, burnout

Hospital staffing shortages due to COVID-19 vaccination disputes have continued across the U.S. this month, leaving patients untreated amid surges of the virus’ delta variant.

Health care workers against vaccine mandates have stood their ground, despite the fact that millions of Americans have been safely vaccinated against coronavirus with a Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson shot at the hands of colleagues in their field.

In upstate New York, several maternity staff members resigned from Lewis County General Hospital, worsening an existing shortage and forcing the hospital to stop delivering babies and potentially curtail services in five other departments.

“The number of resignations received leaves us no choice but to pause delivering babies at Lewis County General Hospital,” CEO Gerald Cayer said at a September news conference. “It is my hope that the (state) Department of Health will work with us in pausing the service rather than closing the maternity department.”

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“Essential health services are not at risk because of the mandate,” Cayer added. “The mandate ensures we will have a healthy workforce and we are not responsible for (causing COVID-19) transmission in or out of our facilities.”

More than 150 Houston Methodist hospital system workers were fired or resigned in June over a vaccine mandate after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning any entity from implementing mandates in the state, according to Houston Public Media.

Jennifer Bridges, a registered nurse in Houston who said she didn’t have confidence in the vaccine’s safety, has pledged to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

In Michigan, approximately 400 workers walked off the job at Henry Ford Health System at the beginning of the month rather than take a required COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Detroit Free Press and an additional 1,900 workers received exemptions from the health system’s vaccine requirement.

The publication reported that the workers who left made up about 1% of the workforce of 33,000 people, and Reuters reported that dozens of employees had filed a lawsuit against Henry Ford Health System in September.

FILE – In this July 31, 2020, file photo, Romelia Navarro, right, is comforted by nurse Michele Younkin as she weeps while sitting at the bedside of her dying husband, Antonio, in St. Jude Medical Center’s COVID-19 unit in Fullerton, Calif. California’s coronavirus death toll reached 70,000 people, on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Other hospital systems around the country have also gotten pushback on COVID-19 vaccine mandates, leading to employee firings.

In July, a study by The COVID States Project said that 27% of health care workers were unvaccinated and NPR reported in September that other research showed the rate of vaccination has been lower among nurses and nursing home aides.

There was a widespread shortage of nurses even before the pandemic, according to NPR.

In a Sept. 1 news release, the American Nurses Association (ANA) – which represents the interests of the nation’s more than 4 million nurses – penned a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, calling on the administration to declare the nurse staffing shortage a national crisis and take action.

“The nation’s health care delivery systems are overwhelmed, and nurses are tired and frustrated as this persistent pandemic rages on with no end in sight. Nurses alone cannot solve this long-standing issue and it is not our burden to carry,” ANA President Ernest Grant said in a statement. “If we truly value the immeasurable contributions of the nursing workforce, then it is imperative that HHS utilize all available authorities to address this issue.”

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One of the ANA’s policy solutions was to “educate the nation on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Health leaders said exhausted nurses are quitting or retiring over the crisis and some are leaving for lucrative temporary, traveling positions.

The ongoing pandemic and surges in infections have led to burnout, though issues reportedly extend further back than last year.

“The current nursing crisis the state of Oregon is facing … has been decades in the making,” Natasha Schwartz, a member of the Oregon Nurses Association Board of Directors, said during a news conference at the beginning of the month. “As we see a small number of nurses potentially leave the profession due to their decision to decline the vaccination, we are also concerned burnout will lead to an even larger number of nurses leaving the bedside – and in Oregon, we will not be able to educate a large enough number of nurses to replace them.”

Officials from the Oregon Nurses Association said 60% of nurses at the state’s largest hospital, Oregon Health & Science University, indicated that they are considering leaving the profession entirely.

Patients have felt the effect.

In September, an Alabama man – Ray Martin DeMonia – died following a cardiac event after being turned away by dozens of hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients.

“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID related emergencies,” his obituary read.

Another man who had suffered a heart attack was also bounced from six hospitals in New Orleans before finding an emergency room that could take him.

“It’s a real dire situation,” Joe Kanter, Louisiana’s chief public health officer, told The Associated Press at the time. “There’s just not enough qualified staff in the state right now to care for all these patients.”

Pfizer is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are authorized for emergency use.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that, while a small number of health problems have been reported, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective.

There are more than 189 million Americans fully vaccinated in the U.S. and COVID-19 cases have fallen since September.

More than 726,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S., according to data from the John’s Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Colin Powell’s cancer: What is multiple myeloma?

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died Monday at age 84 due to complications of COVID-19, had multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that impairs the body’s ability to fight infections and to respond well to vaccines.

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The cancer attacks plasma cells: white blood cells that make antibodies to protect from infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The cells grow too much in myeloma, crowding out normal cells in the bone marrow that produce platelets and red and white blood cells.

Multiple myeloma is the most common type of plasma cell tumor and develops in the bone marrow before potentially spreading throughout the body.

In this Feb. 15, 2001 file photo, Secretary of State Colin Powell looks on as President Bush addresses State Department employees at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Kenneth Lambert)

Scientists don’t know why some people get myeloma and others don’t and age is the most significant risk for people developing the disease.

People who are younger than 45 rarely develop it and men are more likely than women to do so.

Additionally, myeloma is more than twice as common among Black people as among White people.

In some cases, the CDC notes, exposure to X-rays or ionizing radiation may be a risk factor and being overweight or obese are also linked to higher risk.

Symptoms of myeloma are varied and sometimes do not immediately appear.

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Myeloma may be discovered when a blood or urine test is done for another condition and a higher than normal level of protein is found.

More advanced symptoms include bone pain in the back or ribs, bones that break easily, fever for no known reason, frequent infections, bruising or bleeding easily, weakness of the arms or legs, tiredness and trouble breathing.

The Mayo Clinic says nausea, constipation, loss of appetite, mental fogginess, weight loss, excessive thirst and weakness or numbness in the legs are also signs of multiple myeloma.

The clinic said complications of multiple myeloma include reduced kidney function, bone problems and anemia.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) says it is difficult to diagnose multiple myeloma early as the disease often causes no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage or vague symptoms that seem to be caused by other diseases.

If tests indicate the presence of multiple myeloma, a doctor will use the information from diagnostic testing to stage it using the Revised International Staging System (RISS).

There is no known way to prevent it, the ACS notes, though treatments include chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplants.

The National Cancer Institute showed multiple myeloma accounted for 1.8% of new cancers in the U.S. this year and reported that there have been 34,920 new cases.

The cancer’s five-year survival rate, or the percentage of people who live five years or more after their initial cancer diagnosis, is 55.6% and around 2% of national cancer deaths are a result of multiple myeloma.

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Kathy Giusti, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, told The Associated Press that Powell had “connected with every patient, caregiver and doctor in the room” when he spoke to the advocacy group about his diagnosis in 2019.

In a statement, she said that in addition to receiving vaccinations, cancer patients should consider other precautions like mask-wearing and avoiding crowds. Powell’s family said he had been fully vaccinated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Blood pressure medication recalled over possibly containing cancer-causing ‘impurity’

A Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. blood pressure medication is being recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for potentially containing a “probable human carcinogen.”

The voluntary recall includes the company’s Irbesartan tablets and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets at the consumer level.

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In an Oct. 14 release, the agency said it made the assessment based on results from laboratory testing.

“As part of Lupin’s ongoing assessment, analysis revealed that certain tested API batches (but not finished product batches) were above the specification limit for the impurity, N-nitrosoirbesartan,” the FDA wrote. “Although Lupin has received no reports of illness that appear to relate to this issue, the company, out of an abundance of caution, is recalling all batches of Irbesartan Tablets USP 75mg, 150mg and 300mg and Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets USP, 150mg/12.5mg and 300mg/12.5mg in the US.”

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. issues voluntarily nationwide recall of all Irbesartan Tablets and Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets due to potential presence of N-nitrosoirbesartan impurity (FDA)

The administration noted that Lupin Pharmaceuticals had discontinued the marketing of Irbesartan and Irbesartan and HCTZ tabs in January.

From October 2018 to Sept. 30, 2021, Lupin Pharmaceuticals reportedly received four reports of illness from Irbesartan and zero reports from Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide.

The Irbesartan tablets USP 75mg, 150mg and 300mg are packaged in 30- and 90-count bottles and were distributed to wholesalers, drug chains, mail-order pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide.

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“Irbesartan Tablet USP is an angiotensin II receptor blocker indicated for treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure, diabetic nephropathy in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes, an elevated serum creatinine and proteinuria,” the FDA explained.

Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide tablet USP, 150mg/12.5mg and 300mg/12.5mg were also packaged in 30- and 90-count bottles and distributed to wholesalers, drug chains, mail-order pharmacies and supermarkets across the country.

According to the FDA, Lupin Pharmaceuticals is notifying its wholesalers, distributors, drug chains, mail-order pharmacies and supermarkets both over the phone and through recall notification, in addition to arranging for the return of all the recalled product lots.

The recall notice advised that patients taking Irbesartan tablets USP, 75mg, 150mg and 300mg and Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets USP, 150mg/12.5mg and 300mg/12.5mg should continue to do so and contact their pharmacist, physician or medical provider for information regarding alternative treatment.

Any adverse reactions or quality issues experienced with the use of this product can be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online or by regular mail or fax.

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Consumers, wholesalers, distributors or retailers with questions about the recall should contact Inmar Rx Solutions Inc. at (855) 769-3988 / (855) 769-3989 and recalled lots should be returned to Inmar Rx Solutions Inc. for reimbursement.

The lot number can be found on the side of the bottle label.

COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot: Is it safe to receive both on same day?

As the flu season approaches and coincides with millions of Americans newly eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster, with expert backing for boosters developed by Moderna and J&J, many may wonder whether it’s safe to receive both a booster and a flu vaccine in one visit.

“Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states on its webpage. The health agency advises providers to administer vaccines into different injection sites at least 1 inch apart to differentiate between any local reactions.

“Certainly, if a person has any concerns, they can take them at different times,” Dr Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau, told Fox News. “Likewise, there is no reason to wait 14 days [between vaccinations], like it was originally recommended, after getting either vaccination.”

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What’s more, there’s no current evidence that co-administration will magnify any potential side effects, according to Dr. Fred Davis, associate chair of emergency medicine at Northwell Health on Long Island, who also noted the most common side effect for both involve a sore arm at the injection side.

Tim Mack, 56-year-old of New York City, told Fox News that he recently received his COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot on the same day. Mack, who has an underlying health condition, said he had the typical soreness from the injections, but didn’t feel as though the flu shot worsened any of the usual side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I felt a little tired, but not anything more than I had with the second COVID vaccine shot,” Mack told Fox News, adding that he wanted to receive both shots at the same time due to upcoming family events and holidays.

The U.S. recorded a historic low in flu activity last winter, believed to have largely resulted from mitigation measures taken amid the pandemic to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, such as wearing masks, distancing and practicing hand hygiene.

However, this year health experts are warning of a possible increase in flu activity.

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“This year our society has opened up more and masks have become less apparent so it’s likely we will see more flu cases this year,” Davis told Fox News.

Health officials urge vaccination against both diseases; the COVID-19 vaccine does not protect against the flu, and the flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, Denise Walsh, dean of the school of health professions and nursing and chief global health officer at Long Island University, reiterated.

“Getting a flu vaccine is the best protection against flu and its potentially serious complications, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against COVID-19,” per the CDC webpage, which advises patients with any questions to consult their healthcare provider.

Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications despite vaccine: Medical experts weigh in

Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state, died Monday at 84 from COVID-related complications, though he was fully vaccinated, his family announced. His death, medical experts say, underscores the need for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots among older adults and high-risk populations to shore up protection.

Powell was afflicted with other diseases, including Parkinson’s and the blood cancer multiple myeloma, which could hamper recovery from COVID-19 infection, according to reports. His family didn’t specify when Powell received vaccine, or whether he had taken a booster shot.

COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, DEAD AT 84 FROM COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS

“The vaccines that we have, and he [Powell] evidently was fully vaccinated, are extraordinarily good against preventing death, hospitalization and severe disease but they are not perfect,” Dr. Greg Poland, infectious diseases expert at the Mayo Clinic, told Fox News, adding that depending on patients’ age, gender and underlying medical conditions, up to 5% will not be fully protected.

“That is the very reason that we are engaging now in a national dialogue about booster doses,” Poland said. Regulators last month authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adults ages 65 and older, and people ages 18-64 at high risk of exposure and severe COVID-19 disease. An FDA advisory committee endorsed a similar authorization for Moderna’s half-dose booster shot, and also recommended all adults ages 18 and older who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago receive a second shot.

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“The shot works. This is not evidence that the shot doesn’t work,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News medical contributor and professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health. “This is an outlier but it’s a wake up call for boosters.”

Several medical experts, including Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the department of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau, told Fox News that older adults and high-risk populations should receive booster vaccines to increase their protection.

“If any good could come out of this, it’s a warning to all that booster doses have their place, particularly in the more elderly, or frail or people with underlying medical conditions,” Poland said. “As soon as they can get their booster, they should.”

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

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