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Poles urged to get flu shots amid COVID-19 pandemic

26.08.2020 10:45
Poles have been encouraged to vaccinate themselves against the flu this fall as the country’s healthcare system grapples with a spike in COVID-19 infections.
Polish Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska.
Polish Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska.PR24/AK

Polish Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska said on Tuesday that citizens were well advised to get vaccinated against the flu, especially as it caused symptoms similar to COVID-19.

"The autumn is coming, and we are calling on people to get their flu shots," Kraska said.

He told a news conference that a combination of a busy flu season with an increased incidence of COVID-19 cases could place an excessive strain on the country’s health service, making it difficult for doctors to distinguish between the two diseases due to similar symptoms.

"The first symptoms are very similar, so it will be very difficult for primary care physicians to tell the coronavirus from the flu,” Kraska said.

“That’s why we are appealing to people to get their flu vaccines," he added.

A total of 63,802 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Poland since the start of the pandemic, and 1,994 have died from the COVID-19 respiratory disease so far, officials said on Wednesday.

On Friday, August 21, Poland's public health authorities reported a record daily rise of 903 new coronavirus infections nationwide, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP