Scott Gottlieb: There’s No Reason to Believe We’re Going to Have a Worse Flu Season Like in Past Years

BRENNAN What should we ░░░░░░░░ bracing for this season ░░░░░░░░ Yeah we re probably ░░░░░░░░ at a more typical ░░░░░░░░ pathogen season than what ░░░░░░░░ ve seen in past ░░░░░░░░ There was a very ░░░░░░░░ epidemic of respiratory syncytial ░░░░░░░░ as you noted at ░░░░░░░░ top in the south ░░░░░░░░ s now abating We ░░░░░░░░ seeing it spread to ░░░░░░░░ northeast right now and ░░░░░░░░ parts of the country ░░░░░░░░ s an infection that ░░░░░░░░ little children particularly hard ░░░░░░░░ older adults Thankfully there ░░░░░░░░ some treatments available and ░░░░░░░░ ways to protect infants ░░░░░░░░ people can take advantage ░░░░░░░░ this year With respect ░░░░░░░░ flu flu has started ░░░░░░░░ than it did last ░░░░░░░░ It s predominantly flu ░░░░░░░░ The vaccine does appear ░░░░░░░░ cover it well And ░░░░░░░░ vaccination rates have been ░░░░░░░░ good this year about ░░░░░░░░ percent of adults and ░░░░░░░░ have been vaccinated for ░░░░░░░░ There s no reason ░░░░░░░░ believe that we re ░░░░░░░░ to have a worse ░░░░░░░░ season than what we ░░░░░░░░ seen in past years ░░░░░░░░ probably hopefully less than ░░░░░░░░ we saw last year ░░░░░░░░ we saw a very ░░░░░░░░ and early epidemic of ░░░░░░░░ With Covid cases right ░░░░░░░░ are less than what ░░░░░░░░ were last year at ░░░░░░░░ point of time We ░░░░░░░░ averaging about 600 000 ░░░░░░░░ day based on some ░░░░░░░░ work that has been ░░░░░░░░ off of waste water ░░░░░░░░ the predominant strain that ░░░░░░░░ increasing in prevalence is ░░░░░░░░ BA 2 86 strain ░░░░░░░░ one we talked about ░░░░░░░░ couple of months ago ░░░░░░░░ spread through parts of ░░░░░░░░ and a particular variant ░░░░░░░░ that called JN 1 ░░░░░░░░ does appear to spread ░░░░░░░░ easily There s no ░░░░░░░░ to believe that it ░░░░░░░░ more dangerous than previous ░░░░░░░░ of Covid And people ░░░░░░░░ have been vaccinated with ░░░░░░░░ new variant vaccine or ░░░░░░░░ had a recent Covid ░░░░░░░░ should have some protection ░░░░░░░░ this new variant.”