Just as parents prepare to return to school, the Ohio Department of Health said everyone should prepare for the upcoming virus season.
Ohio is currently seeing a modest increase in the number of new coronavirus cases, but it is still very low compared to this time last year, ODH director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said at a press conference Thursday. Stated.
But he advised people to prepare for the fall and winter, when Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus will undoubtedly spread again. Last year’s triple demic stretched the resources of northeastern Ohio hospitals.
“The best way to protect yourself from these three respiratory viruses is to stay up to date with proper vaccinations,” said Vanderhoff.
He recommended the latest bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for people over 60 and those with weakened immune systems.
Doctors said they hoped a new respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, approved by the FDA last month, could help prevent the disease, and said it was due to go on sale this fall.
Respiratory syncytial virus, commonly called respiratory syncytial virus, is a common childhood disease and can be serious in infants. Last year’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season was the worst in years, with cases soaring to five times the state average, Vanderhoff said.
Akron Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Michael Forbes said an RSV vaccine could be “genuinely transformative” in that it would likely reduce the number of infants who become severely ill from common childhood infections. Stated.
“This reduces the overall likelihood or risk of RSV-related infection seeking medical attention by about 70%, and reduces hospitalizations by almost 75%,” he said.
This year, the CDC recommends vaccinating infants under 8 months of age and under 2 years of age if they have underlying medical conditions.
Vanderhoff said the vaccine will be provided free of charge to uninsured families or households whose insurance does not cover the vaccine.