Wendy Williams cancelled tapings of her show this week due to an illness, but it’s not the flu.
“It’s not the flu yet, but I feel flu-is,” Williams said in an Instagram video Wednesday. “It’s not a five on a scale of one to five, it’s not even a four.”
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Looking comfortable in a robe and a head wrap, the talk show host let her followers known she’s heading to the doctor to get a diagnosis. Earlier Wednesday, a spokesperson announced the show would be airing reruns while Williams takes time to recuperate from her illness.
“Wendy is still experiencing flu-like symptoms, and so she can rest up and get better, we have decided to cancel tapings the rest of the week,” a spokesperson for the show told Page Six on Wednesday morning.
Williams won’t be gone much longer however, as she announced via Instagram she will be back to work Monday.
“I guess when you don’t take a sick day EVER in over 25 years the ground is supposed to shake! [Laugh out loud].” Williams wrote in a note posted to her Instagram.
“I ride or die for my craft. I appreciate all the tremendous LOVE & SUPPORT from everyone – especially my INCREDIBLE staff! I’m hydrating this bug out. I WILL BE BACK MON AND [hot] TOPICS will be POPPING!! MISS U ALL!! See ya on Monday. ENJOY YOUR WKND! xox, Wendy.”
This isn’t the first health scare that Williams has had. In October, the 53-year-old gave fans a scare when she passed out during a live broadcast. The host lost her balance and staggered before dropping out of view. The incident occurred during a festive Halloween episode, all while Williams was dressed in an elaborate bright green Statue of Liberty costume.
“That was not a stunt. overheated in my costume, and I did pass out. But, you know, I’m a champ, and I’m back,” she later explained.
While Williams’ latest health scare took her out for a few days, it’s no surprise considering that the CDC has labeled this year’s flu season the worst since the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak, with influenza having already claimed the lives of more than 50 children.
New research from Canada revealed that this year’s flu vaccine is 14% less effective than originally thought, meaning that it is just 20% effective against the dominant H3N2 strain.
“That means people who were vaccinated should not consider themselves invincible for this season,” said lead researcher Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an infectious diseases expert at the BC Center for Disease Control.
Despite the inefficiency of the flu vaccine, the CDC is still urging people to get vaccinated, as it can still lessen the chance of catching the virus by 10% to 60%, potentially saving lives.