In a nutshell
More than 11% of all patients tested at Cook Children’s Medical Center-Fort Worth for respiratory viruses on the week of Nov. 9 were positive for Flu A, Flu B or RSV. The hospital tested a total of 757 patients during that week.
By comparison, the hospital tested 633 patients on the week of Oct. 26 and saw 5.53% of those patients tested positive for one of the three respiratory viruses.
Cook Children’s Medical Center Dr. Laura Romano, a doctor based in Fort Worth, said numbers have remained low so far but are expected to continue to rise in the upcoming weeks.
“We know that as people travel and father in large groups, respiratory viruses will begin to spread. People are in tighter quarters or in crowds of people," Romano said.
What the experts say
Romano recommends parents keep their children up to date on all vaccines in preparation for the holidays and ask a primary care physician about eligibility for RSV immunization if there is a newborn in the family.
While Romano said there isn’t a specific timeline for seasonal vaccines and travel, she recommended getting vaccines early if the patient knows they may feel unwell in the 24-hour period after receiving a vaccine.
“Each vaccine is rigorously studied prior to its approval and is monitored even after it’s approved to make sure it’s safe,” Romano said in a statement.
