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Children’s Hospital in New Orleans says they are almost at full capacity because of the uptick in respiratory illness cases. With upper respiratory infections on the rise health officials are advising people to take flu shots early on.
Pediatrician Dr. Marcella Houser with LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans says the symptoms seen in patients are all common.
“There is a lot of flu cough congestion, a lot of headaches, sore throats, body aches and fatigue complaints that are coming into my general pediatric office,” said Houser.
The most common virus doctors are seeing is the Rhinovirus, Enterovirus and Influenza A. Dr. Houser says vaccine campaigns start in September to push the importance of vaccination.
“We always recommend the flu vaccine we kind of didn’t have to much flu previously when everyone was wearing mask, so this is the time to get it,” said Houser.
Dr. Houser says patients and younger children can go to a trusted doctor or pediatrician to take the flu shots to help prevent intolerable symptoms.
“By your child getting them it doesn’t prevent them from catching the flu, but it helps them have a much lighter course of illness, less risk of hospitalization, less risk of flu and the consequences that come behind it,” said Houser.
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