Infectious Disease
Now’s the Time to Schedule Your Flu Shot
The CDC recommends that EVERYONE over age 6 months receives the flu vaccine by the end of October BEFORE flu season starts. Children age 6 months to age 8 who need two doses should receive their first dose as soon as possible and their second dose four weeks later. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body.If you’re age 60 or older, you should also consider getting the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine. The RSV vaccine helps protect older adults from severe respiratory illness caused by this highly contagious virus.
Schedule your vaccines now with a Virtua Primary Care provider.
COVID Hospitalizations Rise in New Jersey
Virtua pulmonologist Eric Sztejman, MD, discussed the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases across the state. Dr. Sztejman cited summer travel and waning immunity from earlier vaccines as possible causes for the rise."The virus continues to mutate, and we're seeing different strains,” he noted. “Most of us haven't received our vaccines for quite some time, so some of the immunity we received from the vaccine may have fallen off.”
In addition, Virtua patient Joy Ezekiel-Gibson spoke of her experience with long COVID—which affects about 25% of COVID-19 patients, research shows. Watch on CBS 3.
