Kane County health officials are recommending residents get vaccinated for a variety of respiratory viruses heading into the fall and winter seasons.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked Illinois as having high COVID-19 activity, while flu and RSV levels are low but expected to increase, according to a Sept. 19 news release from the Kane County Health Department.
Officials said in the release that thousands of people die in the United States and hundreds of thousands are hospitalized from these diseases during the fall and winter virus season each year.
Residents can protect themselves and others from these viruses by staying up to date with their vaccines, regularly washing hands, staying home when sick, improving indoor airflow, wearing masks and physical distancing from other people, county health officials said in the release.
The updated COVID-19 and new annual flu vaccines are now available, and the RSV vaccine is also available for certain eligible groups of people, the release said.
Kane County Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson said in the release that vaccination is the “best way to reduce the spread of infection.”
“These illnesses can be mild for some but pose serious risks to older adults, infants and those with underlying health conditions,” Isaacson said in the release. “Vaccines are proven to be safe and effective, and we recommend discussing the best options with your health care provider.”
Area health care centers offer vaccinations and accept Medicare or Medicaid, according to the release. These centers also offer a sliding fee scale for low-income families, the release said.
Officials said in the release that the Kane County Health Department also offers vaccines for children up to age 18. For eligibility, appointments and referrals, residents can call 630-264-7665
Isaacson told The Beacon-News that the county health department has not yet seen a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases at local hospitals.
However, labs testing for COVID-19 are no longer required to submit their individual findings to the county health department, according to Isaacson. He said these labs still report to the CDC.
Despite low hospitalization numbers, Isaacson said he personally knows “way more” people who have gotten sick with COVID-19 recently.
“A lot of those people are saying that it’s absolutely miserable and worse than other cases they’ve had,” he said. “They don’t need hospitalization necessarily, but they said they just feel miserable and absolutely knocked down. But that’s anecdotal.”
The county will soon begin receiving data from school districts across the county on how many students in their district are out with the flu or flu-like symptoms, Isaacson said.
Last year, schools started reporting data to the health department the first week of October, according to the department’s webpage dedicated to tracking the flu.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com