HealthMatters
It’s fall, which implies it’s time for respiratory viral sicknesses to begin circulating once more as a part of our “cough and chilly” season. This 12 months isn’t any exception – we’ve began seeing an uptick in constructive exams for COVID-19, flu (often known as influenza) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), each nationally and domestically. With a number of sicknesses going round and up to date/new vaccines obtainable, there’s loads for fogeys to know.
To assist mother and father kind all of it out, I’ve answered essentially the most incessantly requested questions we’ve been receiving about COVID-19, flu and RSV:
1. What’s the simplest factor mother and father can do to guard their children from these severe sicknesses?
The best factor mother and father can do, along with handwashing and avoiding sick folks, is to vaccinate their kids in opposition to these sicknesses. For the primary time ever, we’ve got vaccinations or different preventative therapies obtainable for all three. It’s fairly thrilling. It’s necessary to notice, nevertheless, that vaccinations don’t fully forestall all children from getting contaminated and/or having signs; it prevents them from having extreme illness and probably being hospitalized.
2. Up to date COVID vaccines that extra carefully match the present strains have been just lately made obtainable — ought to I get my children one other one?
Sure! The up to date COVID-19 vaccines shield in opposition to the newer omicron variants, such because the XBB lineage, and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention recommends that everybody aged 5 years and older get a minimum of one dose of this up to date Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to guard in opposition to severe sickness.
Individuals (together with kids) who’re reasonably or severely immunocompromised could get extra doses of the up to date COVID-19 vaccine. Kids 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 a minimum of 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 might be nice to get them each on the similar 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 comply with 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 similar time?
Sure! It’s secure to obtain the COVID and flu vaccines on the similar time. Primarily based on present information, there isn’t 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 very good match for the present strains which might be circulating?
Influenza may cause extreme illness requiring hospitalization and loss of life in even wholesome kids, particularly these lower than 5 years previous. It’s wanting 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 forestall in opposition to severe sickness in case your little one turns into contaminated with the flu.
6. Who needs to be getting the brand new RSV vaccine?
Wholesome infants lower than eight months of age ought to obtain nirsevimab, which was just lately authorised 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. Kids who’re severely immunocompromised or have extreme lung illness could obtain an extra dose of their second RSV season. We’ve had different RSV antibodies obtainable earlier than; nevertheless, solely high-risk infants have been eligible. That is the primary time we’ve had an antibody obtainable for all infants beneath eight months of age; research present it reduces the chance of extreme sickness by 75%.
7. When is the RSV season?
The standard RSV season is much 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 counsel it will likely be beginning early this fall as nicely.
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