As we get ready to don jingle bells and plan holiday feasts, it’s important to remember that COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are spreading. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are tracking hospitalizations, and the CDC’s FluView map is red across a majority of the nation’s states, indicating high levels of influenza-like illness. At Immunize Colorado, we know that simple steps like covering coughs and washing hands are helpful to stop the spread of these viruses. We also know that vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to help protect what’s most important to us. Read on to find out why members of our staff are staying current with respiratory virus vaccines like COVID-19, flu, and RSV:
It’s the holidays and while the holiday cheer is warm and fuzzy, the weather is not. So while we’re all inside and celebrating, I know it’s even more important to make sure that I’m protecting the most vulnerable of my family members. That includes my elderly father-in-law who struggles with several heart conditions to our youngest additions who aren’t old enough to receive vaccines. I want to celebrate with them and not worry about their health!
Rep. Susan Lontine, Executive Director
I get my flu and COVID-19 vaccines to protect both myself and my loved ones! I have asthma, which puts me at increased risk for complications from the flu and COVID-19; getting vaccinated means I lower my chances of getting seriously ill. Many of my loved ones, including my 75-year-old great aunt, Sally, are older, which also puts them at higher risk. I get vaccinated to protect her and the rest of my family. We all absolutely love getting together over the holidays, and if we’re sick, we can’t gather. Vaccines help us all stay healthy and ready to enjoy the holiday season together!
Emily Clancy, Communications Director
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu helps protect my loved ones. I can go to a large gathering knowing my chances of bringing viruses that could harm anyone and put a damper on the holiday cheer are much lower. I also get vaccinated to ensure I protect my lungs so that I can live a long life and be there for my husband and our three boys. I have pre-existing conditions including one that could result in degenerative lung disease so it’s extremely important to protect my entire respiratory system. I want to be a part of all the life adventures that await us!
Leann Springer, Communications Manager
This holiday season, I received my COVID-19 and flu vaccine to protect my friends and family. I want to keep myself and my loved ones safe so we can enjoy our time together. Staying healthy also allows me to continue traveling and exploring the cities around me.
Madelyn Wild, Public Health Associate
When my cousin got cancer a couple years ago, I saw how quickly someone can become immunocompromised. With all she was going through, the very least I could do was to get vaccinated to help protect her. Whenever I get vaccinated, I think of my cousin and people like her. The easiest way to help protect our loved ones and community is to get vaccinated.
Susanna Mirick, Outreach and Communications Fellow
This fall, I made sure to get flu and COVID vaccines. I will be visiting family this holiday season, and my niece is too young to get a COVID vaccine. It’s important for those like me who are able to get vaccinated to protect those who can’t be vaccinated.
Christian Vieweg, VISTA Leader
Our hope is that you will do the same and ensure you and your loved ones stay healthy this holiday season and throughout the rest of the respiratory virus season. It’s as simple as 1-2-3 to protect you and me:
Get a flu vaccine and an updated COVID-10 vaccine
Cover your cough, wash your hands, and stay home when sick.
Ask if your provider recommends RSV immunization.
Those three steps can make all the difference! Visit 123ProtectYouAndMe.org to learn more.
Happy, healthy holiday wishes from all of us at Immunize Colorado!
Immunize Colorado was formed in 1991 in response to alarmingly low vaccination rates across the state. At the time, only about 50% of Colorado’s children were adequately vaccinated. A group of physicians and other concerned individuals came together to strategize how to protect Coloradans from vaccine-preventable diseases and increase vaccine uptake. Much work remains. You can donate or discover other ways to get involved in supporting our commitment to healthy Colorado communities today!
Colorado has a confirmed case of measles for the first time since 2019,
Public health experts immediately sounded the alarm and are working to prevent a large outbreak since measles is so infectious.
The infected patient, whom health officials described as “an adolescent,” traveled through Denver International Airport on Dec. 13 and may have been infectious while attending a large gathering in Colorado Springs and later while visiting Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora on Dec. 18, according to experts at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
The patient’s vaccination status is unknown, according to CDPHE experts.
Measles is one of the world’s most dangerous illnesses because it so contagious.
Meanwhile, the CDC has issued an alert to clinicians about the need to increase immunizations for influenza, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. The public health agency reported that in the past four weeks, hospitalizations across all age groups increased by 200% for influenza, 60% for RSV and 51% for Covid-19.
Colorado has its first confirmed case of measles in four years, and unvaccinated people who visited Denver International Airport or the emergency room at Children’s Hospital Colorado may need to look out for symptoms.
Vaccination is highly effective, so people who completed the sequence of the measles, mumps and rubella shot don’t need to worry, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In some cases, giving the shot to an unvaccinated person within 72 hours of exposure can prevent them from getting sick. While most people recover from measles without complications, it can cause brain damage or death.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday declared coronavirus subvariant JN.1 a variant of interest “due to its rapidly increasing spread.”
It made up about 3 percent of all coronavirus cases in early November, but 27.1percent a month later globally, the WHO said. It anticipates JN.1’s emergence may cause an increase in cases, especially in countries experiencing winter.
The WHO designation came after emergency room visits in the United States for covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus collectively reached their highest levels since February, The Washington Post reported last week, ahead of the holiday period.
Earlier this week, the organization issued a health alert to doctors across the United States, calling on them to encourage their patients to get shots to protect them from COVID, the flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) for the remainder of the season.
“Low vaccination rates, coupled with ongoing increases in national and international respiratory disease activity caused by multiple pathogens, including influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and RSV, could lead to more severe disease and increased healthcare capacity strain in the coming weeks,” the CDC said.
Colorado is so far experiencing its most typical respiratory virus season since the start of the pandemic, but no one knows whether the bugs have any tricks to pull over the winter months.
In the winters of 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 raged while influenza and respiratory syncytial virus — or RSV — essentially took some time off.
Last year, with most precautions gone, the other viruses made their seasonal appearance earlier than they usually do, and RSV overflowed pediatric hospital beds as young children went through their first bout with it. While most people only develop a cold when they get RSV, it can be severe for babies, toddlers and older adults.
The agency issued a health alert to doctors across the country, warning that low vaccination rates amid “ongoing increases in national and international respiratory disease activity” could strain U.S. health care systems in the coming weeks, and called on doctors to encourage their patients to get the shots immediately to protect them for the remainder of the season.
With respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season in full swing, newborn babies and infants are at risk of getting very sick from this virus.
Each year in the United States, RSV leads to approximately 100 to 300 deaths in children younger than 5 years old and up to 80,000 hospitalizations among that age group, accordingTrusted Source to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Today, CDC officials sent out a warning about low vaccination rates, which could mean more people will be exposed to flu, COVID-19, and RSV this winter. Officials released a Health Alert Network Health Advisory warning healthcare providers about the low vaccination rates and encouraging them to administer flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines to eligible patients. The CDC reports that hospitalizations for RSV have increased 60% in the last four weeks for all age groups.
According to a survey of U.S. adults, Americans in October 2023 were less likely to view approved vaccines as safe than they were in April 2021. As vaccine confidence falls, health misinformation continues to spread like wildfire on social media and in real life.
