ST. LOUIS — Let's first address the elephant in the room. You heard it read the headline right, yes we're talking to the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force.
If the pandemic has settled, why is there still a task force? Affinia Healthcare Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and OB-GYN, Dr. Melissa Tepe answers the question.
"I think what is great about the task force that was developed during the Covid pandemic is that we can pull together now as a team and a region when needed. And what we're realizing now is that we are seeing numbers for respiratory viruses going up right and hospitalizations starting to go up again," Dr. Tepe said.
Tis the season for COVID, flu and RSV.
"And so again, we are wanting to band together in that task force and help get the messaging out for the region," Dr. Tepe said.
The message this week and probably every week is to get vaccinated.
"It's super important," Dr. Tepe said. "RSV is one of those viruses that's been around for a long time."
It may have been around for a long time, but for the first time this year, there is a vaccine for it.
"It's important to know that this new RSV vaccine is safe," Dr. Tepe said. "We are mainly recommending it, not only for the pregnant woman, but because those antibodies that her body makes will cross over to that infant. And so that infant, when they are most at risk, when they are just newborns, they're gonna have antibodies. They're going to have a way to fight RSV and that is a remarkable thing."
It's important to note there is a vaccine for newborns too, but the supply is low. The vaccine for pregnant women is more readily available.
"If you get it as a pregnant person, your newborn, for the most part, does not need the injection," Dr. Tepe said.
The RSV vaccine for adults 65 and over has no supply issues. All forms of the RSV vaccine require a prescription in Missouri, but not in Illinois.
