US health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

The U.S. is gearing up in case of a bad flu season on top of the continuing COVID-19 crisis. Health officials urged Americans Thursday to get vaccinated against both the flu and coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a yearly flu vaccination for just about everyone starting with 6-month-old babies. Flu cases dropped to historically low levels globally over the pandemic, as restrictions designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus helped block other respiratory viruses. But with schools and businesses reopened, there’s no way to predict how bad a flu season the country might expect this winter.