CCDPH reports low respiratory activity, discusses RSV, a measles exposure and a new COVID-19 variant to monitor
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Summary
Cook County Department of Public Health told the committee respiratory virus activity in suburban Cook County is minimal to low, urged vaccinations for RSV and other illnesses, reported a recent measles case with 19 contacts, and said a new SARS-CoV-2 variant nicknamed 'Cicada' is under surveillance but has not yet shown evidence of immune escape.
Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) officials told the Health and Hospitals Committee that respiratory virus activity in suburban Cook County is currently minimal to low, and they urged continued attention to vaccination and surveillance as the county approaches the end of the season.
Dr. Kieran Joshi, speaking for CCDPH, said surveillance data show low activity in the county but noted several items of concern: a widely reported new SARS-CoV-2 variant dubbed "Cicada" has a large number of mutations and is being monitored for possible immune-evasion characteristics (no evidence of diminished immunity has been reported so far), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) produced a later-than-usual peak this season and leads to hospitalizations among young infants, and CCDPH recently investigated a measles case that generated 19 contacts and two individuals placed in quarantine.
Dr. Joshi said public health work in this kind of exposure is resource intensive because staff must take detailed histories for each contact. He told the committee that "even a brief exposure of, you know, 15 minutes can result in measles transmission," and reiterated that two doses of MMR provide over 97 percent effectiveness against measles transmission. On RSV, Dr. Joshi said about 2 to 3 out of every 100 infants are hospitalized with the virus in a typical season and encouraged adults at higher risk, including people aged 50–74 and those older than 75, to discuss vaccination with their primary care provider.
Dr. Joshi also summarized CCDPH’s community response this season: the county held 22 vaccination events at ACHN clinics and community partners, administered nearly 2,000 vaccines to roughly 1,200 residents (an increase from last year), and ran a paid-media campaign that achieved more than one million impressions. He closed by noting federal-level uncertainty around vaccine advisory committees: recent changes to a federal vaccine advisory panel and a subsequent court stay have created confusion at the national level, and providers are relying on professional societies (for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics) for science-based guidance.
After the presentation, commissioners asked whether professional-society recommendations would translate into insurance reimbursement for vaccines; Dr. Joshi said insurers have signaled that they intend to align reimbursement with science-based recommendations.
The committee did not take action on the CCDPH briefing; the item had been deferred to committee for further consideration earlier in the meeting.
