Countries in Americas urged to brace selves for seasonal flu, hurricanes

As countries of the Americas experience an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has called for additional vigilance as the influenza and hurricane seasons begin.

Over the past week, countries in the Region have reported a 10.4 per cent jump in cases of COVID-19, and a 14 per cent increase in deaths, presenting the “double threat” of a potential influenza surge alongside a rise in COVID-19 cases, PAHO Director, Dr Carissa F Etienne said.
Influenza cases have been exceptionally low since COVID-19 began over two years ago, but things have started to change, the Director said during a media briefing Wednesday.
Dr Etienne stated, “The flu virus is circulating again and not just during traditional flu season.”
Mexico and Peru have seen higher numbers of influenza cases than expected and Argentina, Chile and Uruguay have reported more hospitalisations than usual.
Cases of respiratory virus in Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic have also spiked among young children.
While most countries have integrated COVID-19 surveillance with efforts to track the influenza virus, the PAHO Director highlighted that they must build on that capacity “to quickly identify the different respiratory viruses circulating in the Americas”.
She also urged people to ensure they were up to date with the flu vaccine as this reflected the strains circulating now and could provide better protection to all at risk. Influenza vaccination campaigns are important every year, but even more so this year, “as we are facing multiple risks at the same time”, she said.
Dr Etienne also highlighted that while the upcoming influenza season would primarily impact those countries in the southern hemisphere, countries in Central America and the Caribbean must prepare for hurricane season.
“It only takes one massive storm to destroy people’s livelihoods, cripple our health systems, and lead to countless lives lost,” the PAHO Director said.

And with climate change leading to a rise in the frequency and impact of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and floods, “we must prepare early so we are not caught off guard”.
While many countries already have national plans for extreme weather events, Dr Etienne urged leaders to ensure these were up to date.
“Countries should have a detailed understanding of their risk areas, and the likely populations and health facilities which could be affected,” she said.
PAHO will continue to support countries to assess risks and addressing vulnerabilities ahead of time. Its SMART hospitals programme, which focuses on the renovation of health centres in areas vulnerable to natural disasters, has also been applied across the Region, helping countries withstand volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and the pandemic.

“Our well-being and that of our societies depend on the resilience of our health systems,” the PAHO Director said. “This is an important lesson from COVID-19 that we cannot ignore,” and one which will be addressed by Heads of State during the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, starting on June 6.
The Region’s health systems, which are still recovering from the disruptions brought by the pandemic, are not only facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, but are being further tested by the spike in current public health events, including Monkeypox, viral hepatitis, and other respiratory infections, said Dr Etienne.
Urgent investment in health is, therefore “essential to secure everything that we hope for the future of our region: resilience and security, economic prosperity, and the well-being of our people,” she added.
Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the Region, all subregions have seen increases in both cases and deaths – with COVID-19 cases in South America rising by 43.1 per cent and deaths by 21.3 per cent in Central America.