VashonBePrepared: An update on respiratory illnesses

It’s not just COVID goin’ around this summer.

August 24, 2024 1:30 am
The Quartermaster Heights neighborhood gathering featured a question and answer session led by VashonBePrepared Vice President Rick Wallace. He told the crowd: “You all are taking the most important step for preparedness – getting to know each other and learning how to help each other now, before an emergency hits your neighborhood.” (Eric Perlman photo)
The Quartermaster Heights neighborhood gathering featured a question and answer session led by VashonBePrepared Vice President Rick Wallace. He told the crowd: “You all are taking the most important step for preparedness – getting to know each other and learning how to help each other now, before an emergency hits your neighborhood.” (Eric Perlman photo)

COVID infections have been surging this summer, and clinics are also seeing unusually high rates of whooping cough (pertussis). A new COVID vaccine arrives soon, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination recommendations have been revised.

Respiratory illnesses and prevention are hot topics right now, so we’ve teamed up with Vashon Medical Reserve Corps experts to put together this quick roundup.

COVID surge

COVID-19 has peaked in the summer every year since 2020, but the summer peak was shrinking each year. Unfortunately, this summer reversed the trend.

Over the last few months, COVID hospitalizations have equaled the winter peak. We are all getting another reminder that the virus continues to evolve quickly; COVID has not ended.

The 2024 edition of the COVID vaccine will be available late this month or early September. It targets a more recent Omicron strain than last year’s vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the new vaccine for everyone six months old and older, regardless of prior vaccination history.

Studies compared outcomes for people who received the most recent vaccine last fall with those who did not. The results show that last year’s updated vaccine prevented more than half of symptomatic COVID infections over the course of the winter.

For most people, the best time to get the 2024 COVID vaccine is October and early November. That timing optimizes protection during the winter COVID peak. Vashon Medical Reserve Corps and VashonBePrepared are again working on plans with Vashon Pharmacy to vaccinate islanders against COVID, RSV, and influenza (flu) beginning in early October.

New RSV vaccine recommendations

Good news: the new RSV vaccine lasts a long time. If you got the RSV vaccine last year, the CDC says you are good to go. There’s no need to get another RSV vaccination this year.

The new recommendation is based on real-world data from studies in the field. The RSV vaccine works and it’s safe.

If you have not yet received the RSV vaccine, it’s recommended for infants and all adults 75 or older. People 60 to 74 years old at increased risk of this serious respiratory infection should also get the RSV vaccination.

Whooping Cough and Pneumonia

Not everything that makes you cough is a virus.

Whooping cough (Pertussis) is a bacterial infection that is now circulating in our region. It causes debilitating coughing fits, and the cough lasts a long time. You don’t want anyone in your household to get this. Coughing can last for 100 days! Whooping cough can be life-threatening for very young children.

Pertussis can easily be prevented with vaccination, but protection wanes over time. You’ve probably heard of the vaccine called TDaP (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis).

Most whooping cough infections occur in unvaccinated children, but you are also at risk if you have not been re-vaccinated as a teenager or an adult. The CDC recommends getting a booster every 10 years. If you don’t remember getting the TDaP booster vaccination as a teenager or adult, ask your doctor if it’s appropriate for you.

While you’re at it, consider getting a pneumococcal vaccine if you are 65 or older or are at risk because your immune system is suppressed by certain diseases or conditions (for example, AIDS, diabetes, cancer, and chemotherapy).

A pneumococcal vaccine protects against multiple strains of pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) — the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. There are several forms of these vaccines for both children and adults and the CDC recommendations are complicated: find out more at tinyurl.com/VaxPneumonia.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about which pneumococcal vaccine is most appropriate for you.

Having trouble keeping track of your vaccinations? Sign up for myirmobile.com to have access to all of your shots and receive recommendations to keep you up to date.

Which vaccines are for you?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the CDC is offering an online tool to help you decide which vaccines to consider for yourself and members of your household.

Answering some simple questions takes only a minute or two, and you’ll get a customized list of vaccines tailored to your situation.

• Adult vaccine tool: tinyurl.com/VaxAdult.

• Childhood vaccine tool: tinyurl.com/VaxChildhood.

Your neighborhood summer: NERO get-together

What could be more Vashon than a backyard barbecue and potluck?

About 30 people in Quartermaster Heights gathered this August to get to know their neighbors, some meeting for the first time. They played neighborhood trivia and shared great food.

They also peppered VashonBePrepared speaker Rick Wallace with questions about their new commitment to the Neighborhood Emergency Response Organization (NERO) program. Lean more about NERO at tinyurl.com/InfoNERO.