Open AccessAddressing Influenza Vaccination in MENA Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Decreasing the Effects of the Collision
Author(s) -
Salah T. Al Awaidy,
Oğuz Abdullah Uyaroğlu,
Chadia Wannous,
Mine Durusu Tanrıöver
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oman medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 2070-5204
pISSN - 1999-768X
DOI - 10.5001/omj.2020.132
Subject(s) - pandemic , medicine , social distance , covid-19 , vaccination , hygiene , transmission (telecommunications) , environmental health , virology , distancing , disease , demography , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , telecommunications , sociology , computer science
The Northern Hemisphere, including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is anxiously waiting for the influenza season as it is expected to coincide with the second peak or wave of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic causing fear of a ‘twindemic’, where two epidemics happen at the same time. Influenza cases abruptly declined as a result of the COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing, as well as missed diagnoses due to sick people avoiding healthcare institutions early in the spring.1 Yet, the world should be prepared for the worst as we are not certain if preventive measures to mitigate COVID-19 transmission can lead to a low upcoming season for influenza in the Northern Hemisphere as has been evident in the Southern Hemisphere during June–August 20201 or it may lead to viral interference resulting in different peaks of the infection.