HOUSTON – Pneumonia and flu shots can protect you against illnesses but according to the World Health Organization, these vaccines do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.
The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.
However, in order to protect yourself from coronavirus complications, doctors said to make sure you’re updated on your shots.
“People with coronavirus are prone to getting secondary infections. They may get a co-infection with the influenza. they may have a co-infection with pneumonia or they may develop a bacterial pneumonia a week into their hospital stay, and so the vaccines will help prevent those complications of coronavirus,” Shane Magee, MD, from Kelsey-Seybold Clinic said. “I still recommend getting these vaccines because it may still help you recover from the coronavirus because you’re not going to get a severe flu infection on top of the coronavirus. Can you imagine getting the flu virus and coronavirus and later a bacterial pneumonia? That sounds miserable."
Bottom line: The flu shot and pneumonia shot could protect you from getting seriously ill if you do get coronavirus.
