Respiratory Viruses Resources for Health Professionals

Return to Respiratory Viruses main webpage

Page last updated on 1/25/2024.

See below, or click the following links, to learn more about:

• Latest Updates
• Co-Administration of COVID-19, Flu and Older Adult RSV Vaccines
• Resources

Latest Updates

• Effective July 20, 2024, the Health Officer of the County of San Diego Orders as follows:
  • All general acute care hospitals within San Diego county shall resume reporting all hospitalized COVID-19 and/of influenza cases into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network.
• Health Advisory: Urgent Need to Increase Immunization Coverage for COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Immunizations and Use of Authorized/Approved Therapeutics in the Setting of Increased Respiratory Disease Activity During the 2023 – 2024 Winter Season (January 8, 2024). Actions requested: 
  • Counsel patients about everyday preventive actions they can take to protect themselves against respiratory diseases including testing, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands, wearing a well-fitting mask if a patient chooses to wear a mask, and improving ventilation in home and work environments.
  • Administer COVID-19, influenza, and RSV immunizations to all patients as recommended. 
  • Initiate antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and influenza early in patients, especially in persons with risk factors for severe complications.
• Updated CDC Guidance for Healthcare Providers on Increased Supply of Nirsevimab to Protect Young Children from Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) during the 2023–2024 Respiratory Virus Season (January 5, 2024).
  • There are two options to protect infants against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease.
  • Pregnant people 32 through 36 weeks gestation should receive RSV vaccination.
  • Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) is recommended for infants <8 months, as well as some infants aged 8 through 19 months at increased risk. Providers should use available nirsevimab doses expeditiously rather than reserving nirsevimab doses for infants born later in the season.

Co-Administration of COVID-19, Flu and Older Adult RSV Vaccines

• COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines may be co-administered (given at the same visit). Co-administration of these vaccines might be especially important when the patient has risk factors for severe respiratory illness (including but not limited to advanced age, cardiopulmonary disease, immunocompromising conditions, and residence in a long-term care facility) and there might not be an opportunity to vaccinate the patient with all recommended vaccines in the near future.
• To optimize protection for the fall and winter virus season, providers should consider offering the patient all recommended respiratory virus vaccines during their current visit. Patients should be aware that they may experience more side effects, like fever and fatigue, if multiple vaccines are given together; however, these side effects are generally mild or moderate and only last a day or two.
• Current evidence from multiple studies supports the safety of co-administering flu and COVID-19 vaccines. There are fewer data on co-administering RSV with other vaccines; however, in clinical trials, coadministration of RSV and flu vaccines was safe. For patients at high risk of becoming seriously ill from one of these diseases, the benefits of timely protection from coadministration of more than one vaccine likely outweigh the possible risks of increased side effects.
• If the provider is confident there will be additional opportunities to vaccinate the patient, and the patient prefers to receive these vaccines during different visits, there is no minimum wait period between these vaccines.
• The most important thing is that patients receive all recommended vaccines in a timely way to help protect them against these major respiratory diseases this fall and winter virus season.

Resources

• County of San Diego
  • COVID-19 Healthcare Professionals Sector
  • Flu Healthcare Professional Immunization Resources
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Webpage
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
  • California’s Vaccine Programs
  • Respiratory Viruses
• California Health Alert Network (CAHAN) San Diego
  • Health Advisory: Shortage of RSV Monoclonal Antibody, Nirsevimab (November 27, 2023).
  • Health Advisory: Limited Availability of Nirsevimab in the United States, Interim CDC Recommendations (October 26, 2023). 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Urgent Need to Increase Immunization Coverage for Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV and Use of Authorized/Approved Therapeutics in the Setting of Increased Respiratory Disease Activity During the 2023 – 2024 Winter Season (December 14, 2023
  • Limited Availability of Nirsevimab in the United States, Interim CDC Recommendations (October 23, 2023)
  • Healthcare Provider Toolkit: Preparing your Patients for the Fall and Winter Virus Season
  • COVID-19 Information for Healthcare Professionals
    • COVID-19 Vaccination Clinical Guidance
    • Interim Clinical Consideration for COVID-19 Treatment in Outpatients
  • Influenza Information for Healthcare Professionals
    • Influenza Vaccination Clinical Guidance
  • RSV Information for Healthcare Professionals

For more information, contact the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499 or send us an e-mail.