Dr. Nicole Saphier explains why getting a flu shot can help fight coronavirus pandemic

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Reaction from Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier.

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier told "Your World" Wednesday that getting a flu shot can help fight the coronavirus pandemic in the future, even if the shot does not vaccinate against that particular contagion.

"In just the last two-and-a-half months, we've had over 100,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19," Saphier said. "That is why we had to have makeshift beds in Central Park and on ships, because we had a lot of people already in the hospital already from the flu.

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"We didn't have enough room for those COVID-19 patients."

Saphier said that a large majority of those who have died from coronavirus have had preexisting health conditions or illnesses that had rendered them vulnerable.

"There are some things we can do to make us more prepared for it so that we aren't shut down the way that we are right now," she said, reacting to predictions that coronavirus will reoccur later this year.

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"One of the biggest things we can do is actually getting the flu shot. Less than 40 percent of adults actually get the flu shot," Saphier continued. "But if you do get the flu shot, not only are you protecting yourself and those around you from the flu, but now you are keeping hospital beds open for those that may need it because of COVID-19.

"That is why they keep saying that you should get the flu shot. And if you are elderly or have chronic lung disease, you should also get the pneumonia vaccine."

Saphier added that one of the good outcomes of the pandemic is the social awareness of personal hygiene, including hand-washing and covering sneezes.