Fall illness rising again this year. Here’s the latest on COVID, flu, RSV, pneumonia
.jpg "The holiday season brings people together and helps to spread respiratory illnesses.")
As the holidays bring family and friends together, joyful gatherings can be followed by days and weeks of illness.
Cases of COVID-19 have waned in the weeks since the launch of the latest booster shot and the beginning of the academic school year. But, once again, COVID-19 isn’t the only respiratory infection circulating this fall.
For a few years, the second seasonal COVID-19 spike has been accompanied by rising cases of seasonal flu and RSV in what health officials called a “tripledemic.”
Whooping cough and walking pneumonia have been added to this group of infections this year as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report record numbers of cases, particularly in children.
Here is what you need to know to prepare for the holiday season.
Pneumonia cases on the rise
In October, the CDC warned of increasing cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, commonly called walking pneumonia.
The spike began during late spring and has continued through the summer, peaking in late August, the CDC said.
Cases in younger children are particularly worrying, health experts said, because walking pneumonia has historically been observed in school-aged kids and young adults.
The infection may be mistaken as COVID-19 or the flu as it carries similar symptoms in kids ages 5 to 17.
“M. pneumoniae infections are generally mild and mostly present as a chest cold but may also present as pneumonia. Symptom onset is typically gradual and can include fever, cough, and a sore throat,” the CDC said. “Younger children may have different symptoms (e.g., diarrhea, wheezing, or vomiting).”
There is currently no vaccine available for walking pneumonia, but the spread can be prevented by covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, regularly washing your hands, wearing a mask if you are around children or someone you know to be sick, and getting your annual flu vaccine, which can prevent compounding symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Young kids are also facing rising respiratory illness on another front.
Children at higher risk for whooping cough
On Nov. 2, the CDC reported a more than five-fold increase in cases of pertussis in 2024, the virus that causes whooping cough, compared to the same week the previous year.
“Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC said. “The number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic.”
Protection from pertussis vaccines fades over time, the CDC said, so experts are expecting to see whooping cough cases rise not only in unvaccinated people, but also those who have not received a vaccine or booster in recent years.
The pertussis vaccine was first introduced in 1948, and in the years since has decreased the number of cases and deaths dramatically, according to CDC data. The vaccine is part of a recommended vaccine regimen for children in the United States.
“Infants under one year old are at greatest risk for serious disease and death because their immune systems are still developing,” according to the CDC. “This age group continues to have the highest reported rate of pertussis.”
The CDC recommends a five-dose series starting at the age of 2 months until age 6, and then a booster shot every 10 years for children and adults.
COVID boosters, flu and RSV shots available
This year’s COVID-19 booster was rolled out in doctors offices and pharmacies in September, and attempts to address the rise of FLiRT omicron variants over the spring and summer months, which account for the majority of new cases.
The shot is recommended for all Americans over the age of 6 months whether you have previously been vaccinated or not. An additional shot has been recommended for those over the age of 65 or with pre-existing conditions six months after the first booster.
The second booster was recommended to address the omicron variant XEC rising as a fast-spreading variant slated to take over as the most dominant, according to CDC data.
President Joe Biden’s administration also relaunched the free at-home COVID-19 testing kit delivery program at the end of September in anticipation for the holiday season.
Four free testing kits can be ordered per household through the Health and Human Services website, or over the phone.
Flu vaccines are widely available, and the dosing is dependent on age, the CDC says.
The shot is recommended for everyone over the age of 6 months, and it can take up to two weeks for antibodies to develop in the body to fight the virus, so experts recommend receiving the shot sooner rather than later.
A nasal spray vaccine is also available for those aged 2 to 49 who are not pregnant or have some pre-existing medical conditions. Consult with your health care provider before choosing a vaccine option.
The CDC recommends a one-time RSV vaccine for everyone over the age of 75 or select adults between the ages of 60 and 74 with an increased risk of RSV, including those with chronic heart or lung conditions, those living in nursing homes or those with weakened immune systems.
Anyone with questions about what vaccines are recommended, approved or appropriate for them should consult their primary care physician or the CDC website.
This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Fall illness rising again this year. Here’s the latest on COVID, flu, RSV, pneumonia."
