Respiratory Illness on the Rise

It is important to be aware of increased respiratory virus activity in children.

Snohomish County and western Washington are seeing Increased influenza activity, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and anticipated increases in COVID-19 activity this fall and winter

To keep children and families safe it is important to use preventive measures. Everyone ages 6 months and older should receive their seasonal flu vaccine and receive all eligible doses of COVID-19 vaccine, stay up-to-date on their COVID vaccines and receive their bivalent booster for COVID-19, when eligible.

Tips for Prevention:

• Staff and children should stay home when sick.
• Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.
• Frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
• Increase indoor ventilation by opening windows, using air filters, adjusting HVAC settings, etc.
• Spend more time outdoors. Make sure children are dressed for the weather.
• Consider well-fitting masks for staff and children, 5 years and older.

• RSV in Infants and Young Children (cdc.gov)
• Flu guide for parents flyer (cdc.gov)
• COVID vs flu vs cold vs RSV printable chart (chla.org)
• Protect Your Child from RSV Infographic | CDC