Low vaccination rates in North Carolina heighten holiday respiratory virus threat :: WRAL.com

Gathering for the holidays this season could pose an increased
risk for catching a respiratory virus due to North Carolina’s low vaccination rates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports only 8.8% of children and 18.9% of adults,
including 41% of adults 65 and older, have received their latest COVID-19 vaccinations as of Nov. 22.

The data is only slightly higher for flu vaccinations, with 33.2%
of children and 36.6% of adults, including 60.9% of adults 65 and older, having received
their seasonal flu shots.

Only 40.1% of adults over the age of 75 who are
recommended to receive the RSV vaccine have reported doing so.

Hilary Martson, chief medical officer for the Food and Drug Administration, said vaccination is
the best way to reduce your risk of severe illness.

“This is the time of year where we start to see those
respiratory viruses picking up, and that’s what we’re starting to see in the
data,” Martson said.

Martson said being in closer proximity to loved ones, some
of whom may be in at-risk groups, and spending more time indoors during holiday
gatherings creates “the perfect setup for these respiratory viruses to spread.”

She further expressed confidence in current vaccines to
provide safe and accurate protection against severe illness.

“These vaccines, we watch these all the time and we watch
the side effects. Certainly they are much safer than getting the illnesses
themselves,” Martson said. “I have two kids and I make sure that they get each
of their vaccines according to the schedule. I am resting assured that they have
that important protection against those viruses.”

Even those who tested positive for COVID-19 over the summer may
be due for an updated shot. If it has been three months since you had the
virus, you should get an updated vaccine for maximum protection.

Martson said highly contagious viruses like measles also
pose a great risk of creating an outbreak when a community’s vaccination rate
falls below 95%.

“If the vaccination rates are not high enough, it could
really take off and cause a lot of infections,” Martson said.

The state’s kindergarten immunization dashboard shows only 93%
of kindergarteners in North Carolina were up to date on all required
vaccinations at the start of last school year.

Wake and Durham counties each reported 92% kindergarten
vaccination compliance, lower than the state average.

According to data from the North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction, that means roughly 850 students in Wake County and another
180 in Durham County could
be unprotected against measles or other viruses.

The CDC reports 95% of the nearly 250 cases nationwide
involved patients who were either unvaccinated or only received one dose.

Washing your hands, staying home when feeling ill and
keeping COVID-19 tests readily available at home can all reduce your risk of
getting and spreading respiratory viruses.