With the start of the fall season, respiratory viruses also make a comeback. San Luis Obispo County Deputy Health Officer Rick Rosen says now is the time to start thinking about getting vaccinated against the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“Generally, it’s a good idea to get vaccinated in the months of October and November to protect against those infections that come up in December and January," Rosen said.
He says there has been a significant decrease in children being hospitalized due to respiratory illnesses in California since the introduction of the RSV vaccine.
"What we really hope to achieve is to limit the burden on our hospitals because we don’t have unlimited capacity in our hospitals,” Rosen added.
Local parents say washing hands and keeping kids home when they're sick are other steps they take to keep their children healthy.
“So some things that I do to keep them healthy is that after we’ve been out, we always come inside and wash our hands is something that they both know that we always do," said mom Kelcie Sanny. "We like to wash our hands before we eat, before we touch all of our toys, things like that. So we just try to keep our hands clean in that area.”
“If your kid is sick, let’s stay indoors at your house so that way you don’t spread the virus around, but if your kid is healthy, you just have to be careful when you go out," said nanny Luiane Matos.
The Public Health Department, along with local pharmacies and individual providers, can provide vaccines to help prevent illness this season, but Rosen says it is always best to check in with a provider first, especially for kids under the age of three.
The City of San Luis Obispo is holding a series of free Flu vaccine clinics. You can find the upcoming dates and locations here.
