For many, these are the happiest months of the year: Thanksgiving feasts, ski trips, visits with grandma and grandpa.

However, the glow of these happy times can be dimmed by some risks that come to the party as we move into respiratory virus season.

Two main risks for respiratory virus season

Many of these happy times involve travel. Travel increases your risk of exposure to folks who may be traveling while sick with one of the three main respiratory disease season viruses — influenza (flu), COVID, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

The weather has turned chilly, rainy and even snowy. That means friends and family get together in poorly ventilated rooms instead of dining or playing outside in the open air. That increases exposure if someone in the group is sick.

Coming down with the crud can really spoil a holiday, and can be deadly for seniors and those with compromised immunity. Flu, RSV and COVID will not make you feel merry!

We’ve worked with the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to gather some information and tips to help you, your family, and your friends keep these happy times happy.

Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) reports that all three of these target diseases are still below threshold alert levels, but that is predicted to change.

It helps to understand that the three respiratory diseases run in cycles. For the last four years, COVID has peaked twice a year, in the summer and winter. This year, we know from data on hospitalizations and wastewater testing that COVID has already started trending up in the southwestern U.S. Based on previous patterns, the second COVID peak of 2024 will likely begin along the West Coast in the next month or so.

First defense: Vaccination

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps points out that we have effective vaccines for all three of the most potentially serious respiratory diseases. The vaccines reduce the risk of getting flu, RSV or COVID. And if you do get sick, the vaccines greatly reduce the chance of becoming seriously ill.

Vaccinations are covered by most health insurance plans and are available at island healthcare providers, including Vashon Pharmacy, the island Sea Mar clinic, and Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s Mobile Integrated Health program for homebound islanders.

However, this season’s vaccination rates are low nationally. Fewer than 20% of U.S. adults have received the updated COVID vaccine, and only about 30% have received the latest flu vaccine. Data from PHSKC shows similar COVID and flu vaccination rates for our region. Fortunately, Vashon islanders have been strong adopters of the latest vaccines. The latest mass vaccination campaign by Vashon Pharmacy and VashonBePrepared volunteers reached several thousand people.

“While we believe vaccine uptake among Vashon residents remains high, traveling still poses a risk for those with medical conditions that predispose them to severe disease,” according to Vashon MRC co-coordinator Dr. Jim Bristow. “In addition to those with compromised immunity from chemotherapy or other medical circumstances, seniors are also at particular risk.”

If you are traveling, you are going to be exposed to unvaccinated people who are more likely to be infected, increasing the odds of exposure for you and your family. However, numerous studies show that vaccinations work. The COVID vaccine has a strong track record of preventing half of all symptomatic infections and mitigating against serious disease.

Why don’t people get vaccinated? In some cases, they have been dissuaded by misinformation. Others may be confused about who should get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) have compiled two fact sheets to help you make a decision about getting vaccinated.

Review these facts at tinyurl.com/VaxQuickGlance and tinyurl.com/VaxMythsFacts.

Deploy layers of protection

There are a number of tactics you can consider to prevent infection. Think of them as layers of protection. The more layers you adopt, the less likely you, your family, or friends are to get sick during respiratory virus season. Here’s a list of layers, from Vashon MRC.

• Take extra care during travel by wearing a well-fitting N95 mask in airports and on planes.

• Reduce the spread of disease by covering coughs and sneezes, improving ventilation, and washing hands often.

• If you have cold-like symptoms, test for COVID. Encourage people to test for COVID before gathering. Test when symptoms show up, and again 48 hours later to be sure of the result.

• Stock up on home COVID test kits. Every U.S. household can get four free tests, and it only takes a minute or two to order them online: covidtests.gov.

• Shorten the time you are sick with COVID by taking the antiviral medication Paxlovid. It significantly reduces the chances of life-threatening serious disease. Consult your health care provider or pharmacist to get advice and a prescription. It’s very important to start Paxlovid within five days of the onset of COVID symptoms.

• Stay home if you have cold symptoms, and ask others to do the same. There’s only one way you get sick from one of the respiratory viruses, and that’s by being around someone who is infected. So make a decision not to spread sickness to others.

• Even if you have tested negative for COVID, know that home tests can give false negatives during the early days of an infection. If you have cold-like symptoms, the safe thing to do is to stay home.