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BEFORE THE PERSON IS EXPOSED. COVID AND THE FLU SHARE MANY OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS. IN THIS SEASON, THERE IS A NEW AT HOME TEST THAT CAN TELL YOU WHICH ONE YOU HAVE. AVERAGE BETWEEN 10 AND 40 BUCKS. YOU DO NOT NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR IT. YOU CAN GET THEM AT THE PHARMACY OR ONLINE. THERE IS THE ABILITY TO GET RAPID RESULTS AND DECIDE ON THE COURSE OF TREATMENT. YOU HAVE EARLY DETECTION AND THE ABILITY TO DECIDE ON ANTIVIRALS AND REDUCE THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS. YOU’RE ULTIMATELY REDUCING THE SPREAD OF VIRUS BY GETTING THIS INSIGHT. IF YOU GO LOOKING FOR THIS, EXPERTS SAY THAT YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR A TEST WITH FDA EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION. AND IF YOU DO GET A POSITIVE RESULT, CALL YOUR DOCTOR JUST TO GET THOSE ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS GOING. OF COURSE, HERE IN THE NEWSROOM, WE JUST CALLED DOCTOR T, DOCTOR TODD ELLER, AND HE IS THE CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. HE JOINS US NOW. IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. SO HAS IT BEEN A TOUGH FLU SEASON SO FAR? WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY TOUGH FLU SEASON. REALLY RECORD NUMBERS OF CASES. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THINGS GO DOWN. THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WE’VE SEEN A TREND IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT STILL IN MASSACHUSETTS IT’S HIGH. SO WHAT HAS MADE IT TOUGH? WELL, I THINK THERE’S BEEN A REMEMBER THAT DOUBLE PEAK OKAY. SO REMEMBER TOWARDS THE END OF DECEMBER IT PEAKED AND IT CAME DOWN. WE THOUGHT WE WERE. AND THEN IT PEAKED AGAIN. AND YOU KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF CASES. HOSPITALS ARE JAMMED TO BEGIN WITH. SO THESE ADDED NUMBERS ARE IT’S TOUGH TO DEAL WITH. SO AS YOU KNOW, VACCINE EXPERTS FOR THE FDA WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET NEXT WEEK. AND THEY WERE GOING TO DISCUSS A NEW FLU SHOT FOR THIS FALL. BUT BUT THAT MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED AGAIN FOR THIS FALL. SO THAT WE GOT A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THAT. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHY? WELL, I DON’T KNOW WHY EXACTLY. LET ME JUST EXPLAIN. THE FDA HAS AN ADVISORY GROUP. THINK OF IT LIKE THE GODFATHER AND HIS CONSIGLIERE. IT’S A TRUSTED ADVISOR. THESE ARE A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BOTH PEDIATRIC AND ADULT. THEY’RE EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, INFECTIOUS DISEASE. THEY’RE VIROLOGISTS AND IMMUNOLOGISTS. AND THEY BASICALLY PROVIDE EXPERT GUIDANCE TO THE FDA. AND WHAT’S THE POINT HERE? THE POINT IS THAT AROUND THIS TIME, BECAUSE THERE’S A SIX MONTH INFLUENZA VACCINE PRODUCTION CYCLE, IT TAKES SIX MONTHS. YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH STRAINS TO PUT IN THE VACCINE ABOUT NINE MONTHS BEFORE, WHICH IS ABOUT NOW. SO THIS ADVISORY GROUP WAS WAS DUE TO MEET ON MARCH 11TH TO FIGURE OUT WHICH VACCINE STRAINS THAT’S BEEN CANCELED. I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT BUT BUT IF WE CONTINUE THAT PART OF THE CONVERSATION, ARE YOU STILL CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL HAVE A WE SHOULD HAVE A NEW FLU SHOT THIS FALL, RIGHT? I AM CONFIDENT I’LL TELL YOU WHY. BECAUSE THE FDA HAS SAID THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE CHOOSING THE VACCINES. AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE WHO ARE THE ONES ORGANIZATION, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN FEBRUARY FIGURES OUT WHICH STRAINS AND THE FDA ADVISORY GROUP USUALLY FOLLOWS THE W.H.O. SO THE FDA IS GOING TO DELIVER, AND WE WILL HAVE VACCINES COME SEPTEMBER. SEE, I TOLD YOU THAT’S WHY WE CALL DOCTOR T. HE EXPLAINS IT ALL. MARIA, BACK TO YOU. DID HE GIVE YOU A FLU S