Will there be a severe flu season this year?

So I heard about this first from my wife, who read about it in the Japanese media. Apparently the experts here in Japan are worried about a bad flu season this year and are urging everyone to get vaccinated for the flu. I'm very pro-vaccine myself and will likely get mine just to be safe. But I also remember the same experts warning about a "Twindemic" flu season last year that never materialized. In fact, flu was practically non-existent last year compared to a typical year. There was Covid of course, but no flu.

So, they are warning again this year. I googled for articles on the topic and found this:

CDC director warns the U.S. is at risk of a severe flu season this year

Quote:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenza experts are concerned that the United States could be at risk for a severe flu season this year, Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned Wednesday. That’s because the U.S. population may now have reduced immunity against influenza after seasonal flu cases reached an all-time low last year when large parts of the nation were shut down, Walensky told reporters during a White House press briefing. During the 2020-2021 flu season, there were very few flu cases, “largely because of masking and physical distancing and other prevention measures put in place for the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

And even the same word is being trotted out again this year, after last year's predicted "twindemic" failed to materialize:
Experts fear a COVID-19 and flu 'twindemic’

Quote:

Although there was very little flu activity last year, experts are concerned that the 2021–2022 flu season may be more difficult. The relaxation of pandemic safety measures that also inhibited the spread of other respiratory viruses, such as influenza, may encourage flu infections. Experts know little about treating people who have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, but there is reason to think that it might lead to more severe outcomes. As we enter this year’s flu season, experts are strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated against influenza. There are reasons to anticipate a difficult flu season occurring alongside the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Such a “twindemic” could lead to more severe illnesses and a higher death rate.

The reason that I am a bit skeptical, at least in the case of Japan, is that people here are still taking precautions against Covid, albeit maybe somewhat relaxed. The supermarkets still have the plastic barriers up and masks are the rule. People on public transport and public spaces are still masking. People are just more careful in general than they were pre-Covid-19.

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/3uPInaa