It’s fall, which implies it’s time for respiratory viral diseases to start out circulating once more as a part of our “cough and chilly” season. This 12 months is not any exception – we’ve began seeing an uptick in constructive checks for COVID-19, flu (also referred to as influenza) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), each nationally and domestically. With a number of diseases going round and up to date/new vaccines accessible, there’s so much for folks to know.
To assist mother and father type all of it out, I’ve answered essentially the most often requested questions we’ve been receiving about COVID-19, flu and RSV:
1. What’s the best factor mother and father can do to guard their children from these critical diseases?
The simplest factor mother and father can do, along with handwashing and avoiding sick folks, is to vaccinate their youngsters towards these diseases. For the primary time ever, now we have vaccinations or different preventative therapies accessible for all three. It’s fairly thrilling. It’s necessary to notice, nevertheless, that vaccinations don’t fully stop all children from getting contaminated and/or having signs; it prevents them from having extreme illness and doubtlessly being hospitalized.
2. Up to date COVID vaccines that extra intently match the present strains had been lately made accessible — ought to I get my children one other one?
Sure! The up to date COVID-19 vaccines shield towards the more moderen omicron variants, such because the XBB lineage, and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention recommends that everybody aged 5 years and older get at the very least one dose of this up to date Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to guard towards critical sickness.
Folks (together with youngsters) who’re reasonably or severely immunocompromised could get further doses of the up to date COVID-19 vaccine. Youngsters aged six months to 4 years want a number of doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to be updated in the event that they haven’t been vaccinated earlier than, together with at the very least one dose of the up to date COVID-19 vaccine.
3. Ought to we be pacing our COVID-19 vaccine schedule equally to the flu vaccine — yearly, round September/October?
Ideally, sure, it will be nice to get them each on the identical time of 12 months to make it simpler for households. Nevertheless, as a result of COVID-19 has been unpredictable, I can’t say that for sure. Proper now, it’s greatest to observe what’s occurring within the information and take note of what the CDC is recommending — till (hopefully) COVID-19 turns into a bit extra predictable just like the flu.
4. Is it okay for my children to get the COVID-19 and flu vaccines on the identical time?
Sure! It’s protected to obtain the COVID and flu vaccines on the identical time. Based mostly on present knowledge, there is no such thing as a elevated security danger and no lower in immune response if they’re administered collectively.
5. Is that this 12 months’s flu vaccine a great match for the present strains which might be circulating?
Influenza could cause extreme illness requiring hospitalization and loss of life in even wholesome youngsters, particularly these lower than 5 years outdated. It’s trying like this 12 months’s flu vaccine is a comparatively good match based mostly on the info from the flu season within the southern hemisphere. Keep in mind that getting a flu vaccine can stop towards critical sickness in case your baby turns into contaminated with the flu.
6. Who ought to be getting the brand new RSV vaccine?
Wholesome infants lower than eight months of age ought to obtain nirsevimab, which was lately accredited by the FDA. Whereas not technically a vaccine — it’s a monoclonal antibody — nirsevimab is getting used equally to how we consider preventive vaccines. It is strongly recommended to get it round September, earlier than the RSV season, and safety ought to final about 5 months. Youngsters who’re severely immunocompromised or have extreme lung illness could obtain an extra dose of their second RSV season. We now have had different RSV antibodies accessible earlier than; nevertheless, solely high-risk infants had been eligible. That is the primary time we’ve had an antibody accessible for all infants underneath eight months of age; research present it reduces the chance of extreme sickness by 75%.
7. When is the RSV season?
The everyday RSV season is just like the flu, with essentially the most instances occurring within the winter and early spring. Influenza season begins within the fall and normally peaks within the winter. That mentioned, we noticed a excessive quantity of RSV and influenza instances within the low season, such because the summer time of 2021 and the autumn of 2022. Some indications recommend will probably be beginning early this fall as effectively.
