CDC Director Warns America Is in for the 'Worst Fall . . . We've Ever Had'

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield is painting a bleak figure of American health in the months ahead, warning that the coming flu season could add to the coronavirus pandemic's heavy toll, reports MarketWatch . He said the United States is heading into "the worst fall, from a public health perspective, we've ever had." With many hospital systems already overburdened by coronavirus cases, flu outbreaks will worsen the strain. Although the flu can be contained by a vaccine, less than half of the country got a flu shot last year. While the CDC usually recommends that 60 percent to 70 percent of Americans get flu inoculations, this year Redfield said he is aiming for 65 percent. The CDC typically purchases about 500,000 doses of the vaccine each year for uninsured adults, but Redfield has ordered another 10 million for more than 190 million doses altogether. However, health officials fear that worries of catching COVID-19 in public could keep people from getting the flu vaccine or other critical care as the pandemic persists.