Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital facilities in both Salt Lake City and Lehi are full due to an increase in respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and other illnesses.

“Right now, we are seeing spikes in RSV and influenza as well as other viruses circulating, and this has led to a big influx of children being hospitalized,” said Dr. Nathan Money, a pediatric hospitalist at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and University of Utah Health and an assistant professor of pediatrics at University of Utah School of Medicine. “We’re full right now but we aren’t turning anyone away. We’re finding ways to accommodate every child.”

Money said accommodations include patient room sharing for children with the same virus or putting them in different hospital units that are adequately staffed to care for them.

RSV is a highly contagious virus that can spread easily through coughs, sneezes and direct contact with contaminated surfaces. RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis, which is a lung infection that can result in severe illness. The virus typically begins in the fall and lasts through early spring. Money said 90% of children have had the illness by the time they’re 2 years old. However, kids under the age of 3 still tend to get sicker than older children — and the younger the infant, the more likely they are to end up hospitalized. RSV is linked to thousands of hospitalizations, hundreds of deaths and millions of clinic visits in young children across the nation.

“The good news is that we now have a shot for RSV,” Money said. “It’s not technically a vaccine but more of a preventive monoclonal antibody that lasts for about seven months. We can give it to pregnant mothers as well as babies as soon as they’re born.”

Money said that when the virus enters the body, the antibodies from the shot recognize it and start to fight it off. If the shot has been given, it can prevent less severe illness and even avoid hospitalization.

“It’s not too late to get the shot and it’s not too late to get the influenza vaccine. We do see hundreds of kids with influenza as well and we really want to try and emphasize prevention,” Money said. “We’re right in the middle of the season and are pretty strained right now and don’t expect to see things winding down for about another month.”

Money said it’s critically important to protect young children, especially infants.

“It’s not wrong for a parent to ask anyone visiting their home if they’ve been sick or if anyone around them is sick. That’s every parent’s right and it could end up saving their child’s life,” Money said.

If your child is breathing fast or hard, get them to a doctor or emergency department as soon as possible, Money said. In addition, if they are having a hard time latching on while feeding or they have dryer diapers, they should be seen right away.

“It’s also important for everyone to take protective measures such as good hand washing, covering your coughs and sneezes, and staying away from people who are sick,” Money said.

Who should get the RSV shot?

• All children under 8 months old, during their first RSV season.
• Children 8-19 months old who are at extreme risk for severe disease as they enter their second RSV season.

Who should get an influenza vaccine?

• Everyone ages 6 months and older.
• Pregnant women.
• People at high risk of complications.
• Health care workers.

Source: Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital