SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)- A local pediatrician says he’s seeing more cases of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), compared to flu and he says he hasn’t seen flu cases yet.
Dr. Robert Dracker, Medical Director for Summerwood Pediatrics in Liverpool, says the Centers for Disease Control is predicting a bad flu season, so he’s recommending the COVID and Flu vaccine.
“I guess because people have not had the flu in the last two years, relatively speaking, and unfortunately not a lot of people were vaccinated for the flu the past two years,” Dr. Dracker says.
He says RSV, COVID, and the Flu are tricky to test for.
“Fever, copious runny nose, which makes it difficult for them to eat especially if they’re a nose breather, more importantly, though is the symptoms of RSV, and Flu, and COVID all overlap,” Dr. Dracker says.
Dr.Dracker adds you can’t avoid them. “Children can have duel infections. Children can have RSV and COVID, RSV and Flu and combinations of all of those illnesses so the biggest issue is to try to discriminate what the child has and how the management of them can vary depending on the particular instance.”
He recommends Central New Yorkers take what they learned from the pandemic and apply it to the present.
“I think the last couple years experience with COVID has really helped us in being more diligent in using sanitary wipes and washing our hands and wearing masks, so I think people are more cognizant of precautionary measures than they were pre-covid which is good,” he continues.
Dr. Dracker wants to remind everyone they can get the COVID and Flu vaccine together.
