PARKER, Colo. — It may be hard to imagine in this warm climate, but winter is quickly approaching. Not only does that mean cold weather, but an onslaught of disease often comes with it. Health care professionals are advising Coloradans to get the RSV vaccine, including pregnant women who are eligible for the RSV vaccine.
“So these vaccines, the influenza vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine, the RSV vaccine, are all going to be very important to protect individuals. We know it can be done,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist. Said.
While some people may be hesitant to receive these vaccines, Dr. Annette Van Sway, an AdventHealth Medical Group OB/GYN at the Denver Tech Center, helps pregnant patients understand the benefits and safety of the RSV vaccine. We are supporting.
“I think there’s always some hesitancy around vaccines in general because it’s a new vaccine,” Dr. Van Sway said. “I think it makes people a little nervous, but RSV is certainly something new parents are very worried about their newborn getting infected, so explain that this is the best way to reduce their risk.” I think it’s just a matter of doing it. Previously, the only way to reduce the risk was to limit exposure, but now we have this vaccine, which is very helpful.”
Maggie Wolansk
RSV can cause fear in many families because it can be serious and potentially fatal for infants, and the CDC says nearly all children are infected with RSV by age 2.
“If you’ve ever seen an infant infected with RSV, you know how terrifying it can be to see an infant hospitalized, have difficulty breathing and require respiratory treatment, and in some cases die. It can go all the way,” Dr. Van Sway said.
To protect newborns from serious illness caused by RSV, Dr. Van Sway recommends that pregnant patients get vaccinated now rather than waiting until their child is born.
“Instead of getting the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, you may hear that you can get the vaccine when your baby is a newborn, but this may not always be possible depending on the availability of infant vaccines. , we recommend that mothers get vaccinated,” Dr. Van Sway said.
Sway, who is pregnant with her first child, received the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine on Tuesday on her own recommendation.
Maggie Wolansk
“I was really excited when this vaccine came out last year because I think it’s been a long time coming and we needed something to help prevent RSV,” Sway said.
To keep our community informed about respiratory viruses, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) monitors data on coronavirus disease (COVID-19), influenza, RSV, and more. Previously, CDPHE had two dashboards to display this information, but now there will be one unified dashboard to better understand and compare data.
“Each has a different vaccine. It affects different age groups differently. So we want the public to know about all three vaccines and know what’s prevalent in their area. ” Dr. Herlihy said.
Obstetrician-gynecologists recommend pregnant women receive RSV vaccine
