How new flu, RSV vaccines could help protect more kids this year

Cold and flu season — otherwise known as mid-October — is upon us. But this year, several advancements in vaccines could help families keep viruses at bay.

One of the new developments is a nasal spray flu vaccine, aptly called FluMist, that people can self-administer. The spray was approved by the FDA just last month.

“You can get a prescription from your doctor to pick up FluMist from the pharmacy, and give it to yourself or to your children at home,” said Dr. Helen Chu, an infectious disease physician at UW Medicine. “And it really will help, I think, especially when families are very busy.”

Chu said she’s hopeful this change will lead to more kids getting the flu vaccine.

So far this fall, there have only been a few dozen cases of the flu recorded in King County. Experts expect the worst of the wave to hit in December and January.

But it’s not just the flu families have to protect against.

In the past, the respiratory virus RSV has been the leading cause of hospitalization for babies. Last year, new RSV shots hit the market, an advancement that Chu said could keep a lot of infants out of the hospital. “If you give doses to infants when they are born, you can prevent 70 to 80% of hospitalizations due to RSV,” she said. That means hospitals will be less likely to reach capacity and won’t have to send babies to other hospitals, a challenge children’s hospitals have faced during past RSV seasons.

Last year, the U.S. didn’t have enough of the new RSV shots for babies to go around, but that’s not a problem this year.

The CDC recommends people get the RSV shot during pregnancy, or babies should get it at birth. High-risk babies are supposed to get a second shot a year later. That includes:

• Children who were born prematurely and have chronic lung disease
• Children who are severely immunocompromised
• Children with severe cystic fibrosis

The CDC also recommends that American Indian and Alaska Native babies and toddlers get a second shot, because recent research suggests they are at increased risk of severe RSV. That's in part because of social factors like living in multigenerational homes or homes with lower air circulation.

Older adults are also encouraged to get the RSV vaccine if they’re either over 75, or over 60 and at higher risk. Those higher-risk categories include:

• Adults with certain chronic medical conditions, such as lung or heart disease
• Adults who live in nursing homes

Adults who got the RSV shot last year do not need to get it again this year; the vaccine is protective for at least two years.