Officials at the Washington Department of Health are urging the public to get their updated COVID-19 bivalent booster shots and influenza vaccines as soon as possible.

Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, chief science officer at DOH, said in a Tuesday news conference that the state has seen an increase in hospitalizations in recent weeks related to respiratory viruses including influenza, RSV and COVID-19.

“It’s really important not to let our guard down, especially as people prepare for celebrations and prepare to travel to spend time with family and loved ones during the holiday season,” he said.

Although RSV cases, which are usually most dangerous for children and elderly patients, seem to have peaked, influenza is still on the rise. COVID-19 is also still present in communities. Lacy M. Fehrenbach, chief of prevention, safety and health at DOH, said the strain on health care providers is being felt for both pediatric and adult care, and has resulted in the need for more patient transfers.

“The strain on the health care system is real,” she said. “(It) has been driven by pediatrics up until recently. There’s now a lot of strain even in the adult system as well. And we’re seeing that in terms of wait lists for people to be admitted.”

Currently, overall influenza vaccination rates are slightly higher than last year, and continuing to grow, said Michele Roberts, assistant secretary for prevention and community health at DOH. However, most of that increase is because of higher vaccination rates in people 65 and older, she said. Children 6 months through 4 years and 5 to 12 years old had a lower vaccine rate than previous years in the state.

“We’re really concerned about these gaps we’re seeing in different age groups,” she said. “We’ve got significant, really, disparities between the different ages.”

Just across the border in Idaho, Moscow Middle School closed for a long weekend on Dec. 9 because of 30% of its student body staying home sick. School officials said most parents reported flu-like symptoms.

Washington has 26 lab-confirmed flu deaths so far for the 2022-23 season, including three children.

“The figure is likely an undercount, because each year many flu deaths in the elderly go unreported,” Sheng Kwan-Gett said. “But it’s important to remember that people of all ages can get the flu and chronic conditions, as well as not being vaccinated, puts you at higher risk for severe illness.”

The current vaccines offer good protection for the dominant strain of Influenza A currently circulating. However, it does take roughly two weeks to see maximum protection from the flu vaccine, Roberts said.

“As you’re considering your holiday plans, put getting your flu shot on the list,” she said. “It’s completely safe to receive your seasonal flu shot and your COVID-19 vaccine dose at the same time.”

Health officials have also seen a similar disparity in vaccine rates in children for the updated bivalent COVID-19 boosters.

Though roughly 80% of Washington residents have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is higher than most states, only 27% of the eligible population has received any dose of an updated COVID-19 booster, Roberts said. That number is even lower in children.

“Only about 18% of children aged 5 to 11 have received the updated booster,” she said. “We cannot stress enough how vital it is right now to insure the children in your life, and everybody in your life, have this crucial protection against serious illness, hospitalization or death.”

Most people who’ve received their primary COVID-19 vaccines, including children 6 months or older, are eligible for a booster shot, with some changes in guidelines unique to children.

Health officials are also recommending masking in crowded or confined settings, and frequent hand-washing or use or hand sanitizer. There is no plan for a mask mandate, said Umair A. Shah, DOH secretary of health.

Using at-home COVID-19 tests is also recommended for people who feel sick, before and after traveling, and before gathering in large groups, especially if it includes people at a higher risk for serious illness. Parents may also now use at-home tests for children 2 years and younger.

Washington residents can get up to 10 COVID-19 tests per month through Dec. 31 at sayyescovidhometest.org. Starting Jan. 1, the program will ramp down to five tests per month.

If people need to purchase tests, most insurers are required to cover eight home tests per covered member per month.

Sun may be contacted at rsun@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made possible by the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.