coronavirus pandemic looming for many countries, tackling this year's flu season - typically December through February - has taken on increased urgency.In Japan, the health ministry is preparing 31.2 million flu shots, up 7% from last year and the highest amount since 2015.
Officials are also urging symptomatic patients to call medical hotlines before going for testing to avoid contagion at hospitals."We are going to focus our medical resources on the severely ill in anticipation of the seasonal influenza epidemic," Takeshi Enami, a Japanese health ministry official said last week after a meeting of disease experts.The World Health Organization has urged global widespread flu vaccinations this year, amid concerns the same people who are.