New COVID-19 vaccine rolls out as flu season approaches

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - A new COVID-19 vaccine is shipping out to hospitals and clinics across the nation.

According to Coastal Family Health in Biloxi, it could take two weeks for the doses to become available and Mississippians should not forget that coronavirus is still in our state.

“COVID is definitely out there and we’re dealing with it now,” said Dr. Windy Williams, the chief medical officer at Coastal Family Health. “I imagine with this new strain, it will continue to be a problem throughout the fall and winter.”

According to the Mississippi Department of Health, there were 1,561 cases of ‘’COVID-19-like illnesses’' reported on September 2.

Number of CLI visits in Mississippi, January 1st through September 2nd. — Number of CLI visits in Mississippi, January 1st through September 2nd.(Mississippi State Department of Health)

Williams points out that as flu season approaches, illnesses like the flu and strep throat have similar symptoms and could be adding to those numbers reported by MSDH.

“We have been seeing COVID, we have been seeing Flu-B, and we have been seeing strep throat,” she said. “It’s interesting because they’re presenting about the same [symptoms] in our patients. It comes down to the degree of severity. Usually, COVID makes you very sick.”

Dr. Williams suggested that Mississippians get both the latest COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine to avoid illness, especially for higher-risk patients, like kids and the elderly.

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