Health officials urging vaccines to prevent ‘Triple-demic’ nationwide

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Health officials are urging you to schedule your vaccines early this year.

This comes after increases in cases of COVID, Flu, and RSV nationwide.

Doctors say getting your vaccines will help prevent you and your family from getting sick.

According to the CDC, only 28% of adults are up to date on their Covid vaccinations and only 7% of children are up to date.

As for the flu, last year less than 50 percent of adults got a vaccine, but the rate of all people hospitalized was over 60 per 100,000 people.

To find where you can receive a COVID or flu vaccine you can find a location here.

For RSV, officials say virtually all children under the age of two contract the RSV infection but nearly two out of 100 children may need to be hospitalized for this illness.

Dr. Jonathan Phillips, pediatrician and family medicine doctor at Deaconess says, “Whenever you’re not feeling well definitely try to stay away from the little ones, it definitely does effect those six months of age and younger the hardest. So trying to be mindful if it’s not your own children or ones in your sphere of influence to try and stay healthy whenever you’re around them.”

Officials say to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician to talk about the best option available for your child when it comes to RSV prevention and treatment.

With three illnesses coinciding all at once, are urging everyone, regardless of age, to get vaccinated or treatment this fall.

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