Adams Co. residents urged to get respiratory vaccines
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years AGO
Adams County health officials are asking residents, especially those sensitive to respiratory illnesses such as children and the elderly, to get vaccinated for RSV, COVID-19, the flu and similar conditions.
COURTESY PHOTO/CDC
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | December 12, 2023 6:04 PM
RITZVILLE — Adams County health officials are urging people to get vaccinations for respiratory illnesses as the rate of those diseases increases in the county.
Vicki Guse, administrator for Adams County Integrated Healthcare Services, wrote in a press release issued Tuesday that rates of flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have been going up. The rate of RSV cases was rising more quickly, but flu cases are catching up, she said.
“It is not clear yet if COVID-19 will become seasonal, but rates have been higher each winter since the beginning of the pandemic,” Guse wrote.
The ACHD is recommending that healthcare facilities start implementing respiratory virus policies without delay, she wrote.
A flu shot is recommended for everyone older than 6 months old.
“People who haven’t been vaccinated still have time to get the vaccine before the season reaches its peak. Influenza strain A is currently the dominant strain in Washington. The flu vaccine is a good match against this strain of influenza.” Guse wrote.
The RSV vaccine is recommended for people 60 years of age and older and women who are 32 to 36 weeks pregnant.
Guse wrote that people should stay home if they are sick, and stay away from school or work for at least 24 hours after any fever is gone, without the use of fever-reducing medications. There are additional protocols for people who may have COVID-19.
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