The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 7 COVID patients today.
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Steve Stites, Chief Medical Officer at The University of Kansas Health System.
- First time ever new older adults can get vaccinated vaccine RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
- 2 new shots One from Pfizer, another from GSK.
- They're both FDA-approved and CDC-recommended for adults 60 years-old and older.
- Most RSV cases are like a cold and people recover on their own. But infants, older adults, and people with certain conditions like asthma or diabetes are more likely to need hospital-level care.
Mitzi Lawrence, Hospitalized with RSV
- Thought it was a cold, couldn’t breathe.
- Oxygen dropped in low 80’s, had to be hospitalized.
- RSV caused pneumonia.
- Immune system was compromised due to a bone marrow transplant
- Now uses an inhaler
Dr. Greg Poland, Director of the Vaccine Research Group at Mayo Clinic, The editor-in-chief of the medical journal "Vaccine"
- Every year In the US approx. 60,000-120,000 people, over the age of 60, are hospitalized with RSV.
- 6,000-10,000 of those hospitalized die.
- Attempts to find vaccine for RSV dates back to 1960’s
- New vaccine is very good at preventing severe disease.
- During 2-year trial of RSV vaccine people were still distancing from COVID but the vaccine still had 85-95% efficacy from preventing severe disease
- Doctors are hopeful efficacy will be higher than shown in clinical trial.
- Talk to your doctor about the risks you face if you get RSV and if you need the vaccine before the age of 60.
- People 60 and older should get vaccinated.
COVID Vaccines
- COVID boosters have been delayed.
- Seeing a surge of EG5 and EG5.1 COVID strain cases but booster will not be available until September or October.
- This is becoming a disease for people who are not immunized or have other risk factors.
- What sequence to get the vaccines:
- RSV is available now.
- Flu vaccine
- COVID booster
- You can get them at the same time if they are all available.
Long Term COVID vaccine side effects:
- Immunologic reactions that look like long-COVID are being called “Long Vax” syndrome.
- Hard to determine how frequent it is, appears to be very rare.
- Benefits of getting vaccinated for COVID far outweigh risk of developing “Long Vax” symptoms.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- RSV can cause symptoms like common cold but very young children, older adults and immune compromised people can have significant severe disease like Mitzi.
- The RSV vaccine is very safe.
- Most common side effects are pain or redness at the injection site.
- Researchers are looking at doing a combined booster against all SARS related.
Friday, Aug. 18 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Expectant moms have lots of questions. Exercise less…or maybe exercise more? Moms can seek advice from books, blogs, friends and family. But we're getting advice straight from OB-GYNs, who are ready to answer the most-asked questions
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