Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to Wise and Well presented by Community Memorial Healthcare. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Today, Dr. Alison Shuman, Pediatrician and Community Memorial Healthcare Chief of Staff, joins us to discuss the importance of flu shots for Ventura County. Thank you so much for being here.

Alison Shuman, MD: Thank you so much for having me.

Host: What is the outlook for the upcoming flu season, specifically for Ventura County and how does it compare to national trends?

Alison Shuman, MD: So, right now the CDC is predicting that this year's flu season will look a lot like last year's flu season. Same for RSV and for COVID. I think we should expect for Ventura County to look similar to the nation. We have a pretty diverse population and so I would expect us to look similar to what we forecast for the nation as a whole.

Host: And given Ventura County's diverse population, what message do you have for different communities about the importance of flu vaccinations?

Alison Shuman, MD: I have the same message for all communities, which is that getting a flu shot every year is a great way to protect yourself and your family from unnecessary illness and even the potential for serious complications and death.

Host: Wow. Dr. Shuman, I have to tell you, I was at the CVS the other day picking up something and they said, you get your flu shot just out of the blue. And I said, no, not yet. And they're like, well, we can give it to you right now. We go over there. And I'm like, what? But I was actually very happy that they reminded me.

Because I think it slipped some people's minds. So, we're in a post pandemic era, but with other respiratory viruses like you mentioned RSV and COVID-19 circulating, how do you advise Ventura County residents to protect themselves this season?

Alison Shuman, MD: So I'll go back to it. First, and most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to get vaccinated. Whether that's the COVID-19 booster, whether that's your flu shot, for pregnant women, we now have a vaccine for RSV that can protect them and their unborn child once the baby comes out through the RSV season.

We have RSV vaccines for our older population, over 65. RSV is something we usually think of in children, but it's actually incredibly common in the elderly as well. And then we also have RSV antibody that we can give to babies in the offices or in the hospital to protect them. So the first and best thing everyone can do is to protect themselves on the front end with vaccination, with the hope that they won't even contract these illnesses. Second line would be good hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene. Things like RSV are passed by contact, so that's on your hands, on your clothes. Influenza is passed in the air on respiratory droplets. Same thing with COVID. So using masks if you're sick, staying home if you're sick, keeping your kids home if they're sick.

Those are all great ways to keep yourself safe, keep your family safe, and keep the community safe.

Host: What is the best time for the community to get their flu shot?

Alison Shuman, MD: As soon as it's available. So right now, right as there's a season is about to start, is a great time to get vaccinated because that way you are protected through the entire season. That season starts in this October to November time and extends all the way through April, and so vaccination on the front end is the best thing you can do.

Host: You touched on this a little bit, but let's get more into beyond vaccination. What are some of the most effective habits Ventura County families can adopt to stay healthy, especially with school and community events starting up again.

Alison Shuman, MD: So always for everybody, taking good care of yourself in general; getting enough sleep, eating well, giving your body the food, the vitamins, everything it needs to be nourished, that helps your immune system. Secondarily, if you are sick, stay home. If your child's sick, keep them home. Use good hand hygiene.

Don't visit family members, if you are sick. Don't visit babies, if you are sick. Use masks when appropriate. If you feel like you have a respiratory illness, putting on a mask, if you're gonna be out in public is a great way to protect others. And if you're worried about others getting you sick, you can use a mask and you can protect yourself from them, even if they're not wearing a mask.

Host: And as a pediatrician in Ventura County, what are your top three health concerns for kids as they head back to our local schools?

Alison Shuman, MD: So I genuinely at this time, my biggest concern, some of the misinformation that I see out spreading on the internet, social media that's leading to decreased rates of vaccination across the board, and my big concern is that we are going to start to see children unnecessarily getting sick, hospitalized, and dying from vaccine preventable diseases like the measles, polio, whooping cough, diptheria, and influenza.

Last year was actually the worst year in many, many years for pediatric influenza deaths, and if we vaccinated our children for influenza, we could significantly decrease that risk.

Host: Wow. I hate to say I did not even know you could die from the flu. That's awful. Another good reason to get in there and get vaccinated. For local families without health insurance, what are some no cost options for getting a flu shot here in Ventura County?

Alison Shuman, MD: So Community Memorial Health System has some free flu shot events in the month of October throughout our county, and you can call one of our health centers for more information, or you can visit our website or our social media for more details on those clinics for the flu shot.

Host: Dr. Shuman, what resources are available at Community Memorial Healthcare for people who have questions about vaccines? Because I think there are a lot of questions out there.

Alison Shuman, MD: Absolutely. There is a lot of public questioning and concerns and so on October 21st, we'll actually be co-hosting an event with the Ventura County Office of Education. We think this is going to be a really timely event. It's here to inform the community about the truths and myths around vaccination. We're going to have some expert voices, both from our system. I'll be on the panel as well as the Ventura County Public Health and the Office of Education. We'll be highlighting during that session some research driven insights into vaccine safety, efficacy, and the public health impacts.

Host: And you can attend in-person or Zoom. Is that right?

Alison Shuman, MD: That's correct. You can go and sign up and you can either be there in person or attend via Zoom, and if you sign up and you can't be there during the exact time for the virtual, it will be recorded and you'll be able to watch it at a later time at your convenience.

Host: Oh, that's awesome. Boy, you have all the bases covered. What are some event highlights?

Alison Shuman, MD: So we'll also be having a live Q and A session with those medical professionals, again, including myself and the public health professionals. For families who have specific questions, we'll have resources for families and educators available. It's also available with Spanish translation via the Zoom live stream for families who prefer Spanish as a primary language.

Host: That's great. And of course, the expert panel, which I assume you're going to be on, about vaccine safety and effectiveness and common misconceptions. Right.

Alison Shuman, MD: Yep, that's exactly right.

Maggie McKay (Host): How do people attend?

Alison Shuman, MD: So it's on Tuesday, October 21st. It starts at 5:30. The actual discussion I believe will start at six. It's located in person at the Ventura County Office of Education at 5,100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. And then there's a virtual option via Zoom, and you can register for that@mycmh.org/vaccines.

So if you go to that website, again, mycmh.org/vaccines, you can register to attend virtually.

Host: Well, thank you so much for telling us about this. These resources are great and I think it's going to be very informative and helpful, and like you said, get vaccinated for the flu at least, right.

Alison Shuman, MD: As a pediatrician, I've had the misfortune of seeing children impacted by vaccine preventable diseases. And so I'm really an advocate for that, but I understand the questions people have and I'm really looking forward to having a chance to address some of those questions and concerns that have been raised recently, and hopefully instill in people a sense of confidence and faith that they can trust that vaccinating themselves and their family is the safest and best option.

Host: Thank you so much for being here today. We really appreciate it.

Alison Shuman, MD: Of course. Thank you again so much for having me.

Host: Absolutely. Again, that's Dr. Alison Shuman. To find out more, please visit mycmh.org or to find out or register for the event mycmh.org/vaccines. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie McKay.

Thanks for listening to Wise and Well presented by Community Memorial Healthcare.