Northeast Ohio doctors are asking their patients to catch up on their seasonal vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19 and the flu.
Vaccination rates at this time of year in Ohio are worse than they were before COVID-19, said Dr. Donald Dumford, medical director of infection prevention at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
“There's been a lot of patients I've seen who, when they're coming in for their final appointments, I've been noticing that they haven't been vaccinated yet," he said.
Nationally, early season estimates show many adults were not yet protected from respiratory virus infections as of early November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
As of Nov. 9, only an estimated 34.7% of adults reported having received an influenza vaccine and 17.9% reported having received a COVID-19 vaccine for this respiratory virus season, according to data from the National Immunization Survey of U.S. adults used to monitor flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccination coverage.
Respiratory viruses can cause serious illness in seniors, infants and people with certain medical conditions, according to the CDC.
Some people may delay their vaccines to maximize immunity through both the winter and spring virus peaks, Dumford said. However, he said if people don’t get their shots now, they won’t be protected for the first rise of cases expected this week.
Another good reason to get vaccinated sooner than later is to protect yourself and others during holiday gatherings, Dumford added.
Misinformation continues to impact vaccine uptake
Dumford thinks some may be delaying immunizations due to vaccine fatigue.
“I think part of it is just people are tired," he said. "It's been a rough couple of years for everybody, and all the talk about what sort of side effects we're having. I think people are just tired of kind of thinking about it.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation has increased vaccine hesitancy among the general population, Dumford said, stressing that vaccines in the U.S. are safe and effective. Those who have concerns about side effects should talk with their doctor.
Everyone over the age of 6 months is eligible for flu and COVID-19 shots. Doctors recommend the RSV vaccine for infants, women who are 32-36 weeks pregnant during September through January, and people 75 and older, as well as 60–74-year-olds who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease.
