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Doctors are urging people to get vaccinated amid new warnings of rising respiratory illnesses coming this fall season.
Healthcare workers are prepping for another busy respiratory virus season. Doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center told News 2 that they’re concerned about COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
“We certainly spend more time together, closer together, indoors and that’s certainly one of the reasons these viruses spread more readily in the winter,” Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Preventive Medicine with Vanderbilt University, said.
Health officials are predicting peak hospitalization rates due to respiratory diseases, which is why there’s a push to get your shot now.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so better to prevent the disease on the front end, than have to try to treat it once you got it,” Dr. Schaffner explained.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in November 2024, an estimated 34% and 17% of adults received their flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Schaffner says Tennessee usually has a “less than optimal” vaccination rate for adults. Despite that, he urges people to take preventative measures.
“These are vaccines, that although they’re not perfect, are really pretty good at keeping us out of the hospital,” he added. “They prevent more severe disease, that’s the real reason we urge people to get them, and nobody wants to go to the hospital, hospitals are not resort hotels.”
Health experts said it’s okay to get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. When it comes to the RSV vaccine, current recommendations are for babies, young children and adults 75 and older.