Children’s hospitals continue to bear the brunt of the early winter wave of infections, with about 300 people hospitalized last week with common respiratory illnesses.
According to the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC), the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections increased by 36% last week compared to the previous week.
Current RSV infection levels appear to be tracking the very high infection levels seen last winter, with 617 cases recorded last Friday, up from 454 the week before.
According to the HPSC report, the majority (507 people) are children up to the age of 14. The number of infected people aged 65 and older is also increasing.
About 284 people were hospitalized with the virus, the worst at any point last winter and up from 240 the week before.
Earlier this week, health department officials expressed concern that low vaccine uptake could be contributing to increased pressure on hospitals. His two recently developed RSV vaccines are being considered for inclusion in the state’s immunization program.
COVID-19 infections appear to be stabilizing, but monitoring is limited, with 486 people infected last week, down from 531 the week before. There were about 249 hospitalized patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus, down from 287.
According to the HPSC, the number of influenza infections remains low and stable, with 64 people infected last week and 66 the week before. 17 patients were hospitalized with influenza.
So far this winter, flu vaccination coverage has been 59% for those over 70, 18% for those aged 50 to 69, and 9.5% for children aged 2 to 12, another target group.
New figures show just 11.5% of healthcare workers have taken advantage of the coronavirus booster, while 24.3% have received the flu vaccine.