“There is nothing worse than the flu spreading through a family gathering,” Romano said. “If you’re flying by plane, you’re going to be sitting next to people that you don’t know. You’re going to be moving to the airport with people that you don’t know. It’s really important to make sure that your kids are vaccinated just because they’re going to be exposed to so many new people.”

The medical center’s positivity rates for the week of Nov. 9 are 7.8% for RSV, 2.9% for Flu A, and 0.8% for Flu B.

“Our census here in the hospital is holding okay, but it’s only a matter of time before these numbers start getting much worse,” Romano said.

Romano recommends that eligible babies and children get COVID and flu vaccines, which can begin when they’re 6 months old.

“We’re also really recommending that parents talk to their pediatrician to see if their children are eligible for an RSV immunization that can start the day after they’re born and go until about eight months old,” Romano said.

Last winter saw the most flu-related child deaths in the United States in 15 years, according to CDC data.

“When those airways get inflamed with bronchiolitis, whether it’s due to RSV, influenza or due to Covid, it’s a lot harder for their body to fight off that inflammation because their airways are so tiny,” Romano said.

Romano said that this can lead to babies and children more easily developing pneumonia or other severe side effects from respiratory viruses often not seen in adults. She also emphasized you can’t get the influenza from the flu vaccine.