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County sees influenza driving hospitalizations; COVID lower but updated vaccines expected this fall; measles cases isolated
Summary
County officials said influenza, not COVID-19, has been the primary driver of respiratory hospitalizations this past year; the county is monitoring a low but rising level of COVID cases and awaiting federal vaccine guidance for the fall.
Sean O'Donnell, Deputy Health Officer, told the Council that influenza has been the dominant cause of serious respiratory illness and hospitalizations in Montgomery County during the past year, while COVID-19 has contributed a smaller share of inpatients.
"Influenza hospitalizations, inpatients are largely our seniors, our immunocompromised, and so that has not, changed respiratory disease," O'Donnell said. He noted that outpatient visits are concentrated among children under 4 and those ages 5–17, while serious illness remains concentrated in older and immunocompromised populations.
O'Donnell said local respiratory-disease levels were very low at the time of the update but that the county was beginning to see a small uptick in COVID cases, including among residents in long-term-care facilities and shelters. He described ongoing surveillance and noted that the FDA directed COVID-vaccine manufacturers to target an updated vaccine focused on the JN.0.1 variant for this fall; federal advisory bodies were scheduled to meet and provide recommendations.
Dr. Davis also briefed the Council on recent measles activity, saying sporadic international-import-associated cases had been identified in the county and state but that local investigations found no further spread, which staff attributed in part to the county’s high vaccination coverage. She described outreach measures for newcomers and shelters as part of containment and vaccination efforts and reiterated that MMR vaccination is safe and effective.
Officials said they will continue to monitor federal vaccine guidance, review advice from professional societies and update local recommendations when national guidance is finalized.
