Community Health – Health Hero Tennessee

We still have a way to go before the winter season ends, but there seems to be no end in sight to this cold and flu season. This year has been especially hard on families with RSV, COVID-19, and the flu, accompanied by the common cold, creating a perfect storm of illnesses. Three pediatric influenza-related deaths in Tennessee have been reported since the flu season began in October. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 65 influenza-related pediatric deaths so far in the 2023–2024 flu season. This flu season has taken a toll on children, prompting a closer look at the importance of vaccination.

Getting Vaccinated:

Data collected by the CDC on last year’s flu season showed that 90% of the children who died were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines are our best means of fighting off severe flu complications. Children over six months must receive their vaccination during complicated influenza seasons like the one we see. Even if you have infants too young to be vaccinated, parents and caregivers can receive a vaccine, so there is a protection barrier between you and your child.

Recognizing the Different Illnesses:

With various respiratory illnesses circulating simultaneously, distinguishing RSV, the flu, and COVID-19, can be challenging. RSV commonly presents with respiratory distress, wheezing, and fever, primarily affecting infants and young children. The flu typically brings on a fever, cough, and body aches. COVID-19 symptoms in children may include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, although they might be milder than in adults. The CDC has a list of symptoms you can review to help you distinguish between these illnesses and help mitigate the spread of contagious illnesses.

For infants and toddlers, recognizing flu symptoms can be trickier. Some signs your infant may be sick include trouble feeding or sleeping and changes in behavior. Severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention include a high fever persisting for days, trouble breathing, chest pain, signs of dehydration, severe headache, and continuous vomiting.

When to Get Vaccinated:

While getting vaccinated before the peak of the flu season is generally recommended, it’s never too late. The respiratory virus season can extend into March or even later. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccinations are available throughout the year, and vaccination against respiratory infections like RSV is beneficial regardless of the specific month. The effectiveness of vaccination can vary, but receiving the vaccine later in the season still provides valuable protection against severe illness, complications, and transmission of these viruses.

Steps to Ensure Everyone is Protected:

In addition to vaccination, adopting good health habits such as avoiding close contact with sick individuals, staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, frequent handwashing, and avoiding touching the face can help prevent the spread of germs. Creating a routine around these preventive actions can help slow the spread of germs that can cause different illnesses. Adding this with vaccination can increase your chances of getting through this season happy and healthy.

With this tripledemic affecting the community, especially in Tennessee, protecting the youth from illness takes center stage. Vaccination significantly reduces the severity and impact of this cold and flu season. But it’s not the only measure to take. Parents and caregivers should also implement preventive measures and recognize early signs of symptoms to ensure children receive medical attention when needed.

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Sources:

National Library of Medicine: Spatiotemporal variations of “triple-demic” outbreaks of respiratory infections in the United States in the post-COVID-19 era

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Protect yourself and others from Flu, COVID-19, and RSV

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Pediatric Flu Deaths Top 100 this Season; Most Unvaccinated

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report

Tennessee Influenza Report

For over 200 years, vaccinations have been a cornerstone of public health. They play an important role in helping prevent the spread of dangerous and infectious diseases and have made a significant impact on global health, preventing an estimated 3.5–5 million deaths each year globally.

Vaccines target various diseases, such as influenza, RSV, Covid-19, whopping cough, rotavirus, polio, etc. Vaccines have even helped ultimately eradicate some diseases like smallpox. In 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eliminated, and there have been no cases of naturally occurring smallpox since. The success of the smallpox vaccine shows how immunization saves lives globally.

While still around, polio is another devastating disease that has seen a dramatic decline thanks to vaccine campaigns. When polio infects an individual, approximately one out of every 200 cases result in permanent paralysis. Of those, 5–10% succumb to the condition when their respiratory muscles become paralyzed. Polio primarily impacts children below the age of 5.

While most people know about vaccines from the annual flu campaigns, vaccines can prevent a broader spectrum of diseases. Childhood immunizations help shield against diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella and protect against deadly diseases like hepatitis, tetanus, and diphtheria.

However, recently, there has been a decline in children getting vaccines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, During the 2022–23 school year, nationwide vaccination coverage among kindergarten children remained around 93% for MMR, DTaP, polio, and VAR, similar to that in the 2021–22 school year, lower than the 94% coverage in the 2020–21 school year, and lower still than the 95% coverage during the 2019–20 school year. These new statistics have health officials concerned that we will see more outbreaks of diseases that were recently eliminated from the United States.

The CDC recommends routine vaccination against 14 diseases for children before they turn 2 years old.

Vaccine hesitancy plays a role in this decline. Misinformation, distrust in healthcare systems, and fear of side effects contribute to hesitancy among certain populations. It’s important to consult a healthcare professional to dispel myths and provide evidence-based information to address individual concerns.

It’s also important to note that significant advancements in vaccine technology offer a new era of precision and effectiveness. Traditional vaccines often use weakened or inactivated forms of pathogens to stimulate an immune response. Modern vaccine technologies, such as mRNA vaccines, represent a groundbreaking approach that uses the body’s cellular machinery to produce viral proteins, triggering a strong immune response.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of the quick and effectiveness of the vaccine development system. Vaccines like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were developed with unprecedented speed and showcased the potential of innovative technologies to respond to emerging threats.

Vaccinations have proven to be one of the most effective tools in safeguarding public health, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and helping to save lives. Historical success, innovations in vaccine technology, and efforts to address vaccine hesitancy collectively contribute to the overarching goal of creating a world where preventable diseases are rare. By understanding diseases and how vaccines can help reduce their risk, we can build a healthier and more resilient community, protecting ourselves and future generations from the devastating impact of infectious diseases.

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Sources:

Research Gate: History of Vaccines and Immunization. Cornerstone of public health for 200 years that saved millions of human lives

World Health Organization: Poliomyelitis

World Health Organization: Vaccines and Immunizations

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Immunization

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Smallpox

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption from School Vaccine Requirements Among Children in Kindergarten — United States, 2022–23 School Year