What’s Going Around: Strep throat, croup, flu, COVID

UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics reports the flu, strep throat and hand, foot and mouth this week.

At Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, pediatricians continue to see a lot of colds and upper respiratory viruses. They are also seeing some COVID, as well as a few cases of pneumonia.

WellSpan Pediatric Medicine Physicians are seeing strep throat, sinus infections and an upper respiratory virus that is not positive for COVID. They’re also seeing allergy and asthma flare-ups.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Roseville Pediatrics reports a lot of strep throat this week. They’re also seeing ongoing cases of croup and enterovirus, which causes vomiting, a fever lasting several days, headache and sore throat.

They continue to see mycoplasma and related pneumonia cases. They also saw sporadic COVID cases, although those numbers decreased from last week.

Dr. Joan Thode said that while they haven’t seen any flu cases yet, flu season is right around the corner.

“You can’t get the flu from the flu shot because the intact virus is not in the shot. There are just a few pieces of the influenza structure to give your immune system enough of a taste to learn how to identify it. As with any shot, your immune system will be activated, which uses a lot of energy and may make you feel a bit tired. But your symptoms are not the true flu, and your cells are not being destroyed as they are with the flu.

Kids and adults alike should strive to have their flu shots by the end of October to ensure the conferred immunity by the beginning of November, which is often when the flu starts to hit hard. It takes about two weeks after a vaccine to have immunity to the diseases vaccinated against.”

Thode also offered these other important flu shot facts:

*Egg allergy is not a contraindication to get the flu shot

*During the first year that a baby or child gets the flu shot, they will need a second booster dose at least one month after the first. Ever after that year, they will need only one flu shot per season.

*Babies can get the flu shot as early as 6 months of age.

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