As winter approaches, so does the latest round of fear-mongering from public health officials: the “quad-demic.”
This year, it’s not just COVID, the flu, and RSV making headlines; norovirus, the infamous “winter vomiting disease,” has been added to the list of threats making the rounds.
But is the quad-demic hysteria justifiable, or is it another attempt to push vaccinations while glossing over their questionable effectiveness and potential risks?
Public health officials, like Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, are urging Americans to roll up their sleeves for not one but multiple shots—including the controversial COVID vaccine that has seen lackluster uptake since its introduction.
“All of the viruses are here, it’s just they’re affecting different areas a little bit differently,” Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases told Fortune.
“I don’t want to panic people, but I would say if you haven’t been vaccinated and you’re eligible for vaccination—that means everybody 6 months of age and older—get that COVID shot, get that flu shot.”
While RSV vaccines are now available for certain age groups, the push for widespread vaccination feels more like a boon for Big Pharma than a genuine public health necessity.
Pfizer, Moderna, and others have enjoyed record-breaking profits during the pandemic, and this year’s “quad-demic” narrative conveniently keeps the money flowing.
While respiratory viruses dominate the “quad-demic” narrative, norovirus—a gastrointestinal illness often referred to as “winter vomiting disease”—is now being highlighted. Conveniently, there’s no vaccine for this particular illness, but public health officials are using it to rehash tired advice about hand hygiene and avoiding crowds.
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Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, refers to this time of year respiratory virus vaccination season. Getting up to date on your immunizations is the best holiday present you can give yourself and your loved ones, he says.
“Benjamin Franklin had it right: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’” Schaffner tells Fortune. “Let’s do what we can to prevent serious illness this year. We’re under-vaccinating.”
But how can we protect against norovirus, also known as “winter vomiting disease,” for which there’s no vaccine? Here’s where hand hygiene reigns supreme.
“Make ample use of soap and water,” Schaffner says, noting that alcohol-based hand sanitizer alone doesn’t defeat norovirus. “It’s highly contagious and you can probably pick it up on the environment, on your fingers, and then when you touch your nose and mouth, that’s how the transmission occurs.”
The same public health measures you likely adopted during the early days of COVID can help stave off illness, too, Hopkins stresses.
“It’s important to cover your coughs, ideally with your sleeve or with a handkerchief, not your hands,” Hopkins says. “Stay away from people who are sick, stay home when you’re ill, contact your health care professional about whether you need to get tested and about symptomatic measures.
