Respiratory illnesses on the rise as kids go back to school after the holidays
With students heading back to school after the holidays, respiratory illnesses are continuing to spread.
Local hospitals have been overwhelmed with cases of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Still, there is hope that these illnesses will begin to drop.
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When kids in Clark County head back to the classroom, a majority of them will be protected. Nearly 90% of kindergarteners are fully vaccinated and up to date on their shots.
Greene County Public Health told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott that Dayton Children’s Hospital has been testing 300 patients every week for the past 5 weeks for RSV. Since September, they have had over 120 cases of Whooping cough.
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As more people get themselves and their kids vaccinated, there is still a small percentage of people who choose not to. While some remain unvaccinated for various reasons, the majority don’t because of misinformation spread online.
“We’ve heard a lot. I mean, you know, you hear things but one thing that’s been shared multiple times over the years is that vaccines cause autism and that’s just flat out incorrect,” Chris Cook, Assistant Health Commissioner for Clark County said.
Cook also said that they are starting to get more people in for appointments, but will keep an eye out to see if the illnesses spike once all schools are back in session.
