Vaccinations are a “no brainer” according to a cardiologist in the wake of the four viruses spreading like wildfire throughout the country.
As the ‘quad-demic’ of Covid, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus runs rife this winter season, cardiologist and professor in clinical data science Dr Amitava Banerjee warns of the fatal consequences that “vulnerable populations” face if they do not vaccinate.
“One of the contributing reasons to why we have a lot of admissions and sadly deaths from these infections is these more vulnerable people get infected and haven’t been vaccinated,” says Professor Banerjee.
He adds: “Sadly that there is a lot of confusion at best and misinformation at worst out there about vaccination and we need to make sure that people get their information, their evidence from trusted sources.”
Flu and RSV, which cause coughs and colds, caused a spike in illnesses last week, the latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show. Hospitalisations doubled for flu and jumped by almost a fifth for RSV, compared to the previous week.
Norovirus levels currently stand at more than double the average seen over the past five years as the winter vomiting bug continues to strike people down.
However, the rate of hospital admittance for Covid remains stable at 1.85 admissions per 100,000 people in the UK, according to the UKHSA.
Prof. Banerjee explains how the infections “affect people who are older, above the age of 65 and who have underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.”
Vaccinations help the body to build protections against diseases, reducing the severity of infections. Prof Banerjee believes the spike in both cases and hospitalisations from the ‘quad-demic’ is caused by “people [taking] their foot off the pedals a bit in terms of vaccination”, adding how “it’s a no brainer” to get a vaccine.
Following the Covid pandemic, the rise in anti-vaxxers became prominent – this is a person who opposes the use of some or all vaccines and regulations mandating vaccination.
However, Prof Banerjee believes people are no longer following medical advice, instead listening to people on social media. He says: “I’m a cardiologist, you wouldn’t come to me for a dermatology opinion.
“Why is any YouTuber or Tiktokker able to comment on vaccination and strains of Covid, and telling people with sometimes hundreds of thousands or millions of followers not to have vaccinations.
“We need to revisit who you go to for information when there is a recommendation from our national medical directors and there is a national guideline to have vaccinations.”
