News Tip: Johns Hopkins Medicine Experts Available for Interviews on Winter Respiratory Illnesses and Vaccines
10/17/2023
The United States’ respiratory virus season — which typically lasts from October to April — is making its annual return. The flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and other respiratory illnesses tend to circulate more in the fall and winter months, which can lead to a surge in hospitalizations.
To help reduce the spread of illnesses this season, Johns Hopkins Medicine experts recommend the following:
- Everyone age 6 months and older should get a flu shot.
- Everyone age 6 months and older should get the new COVID-19 vaccine.
- All healthy infants should receive protection from RSV this year, either through nirsevimab, a new antibody for RSV that the Food and Drug Administration approved in July of this year, or by vaccinating the pregnant parent at 32 to 36 weeks.
- Adults who are over 60 years old or immunocompromised should get the RSV vaccine.
- Maintain good hand hygiene to reduce virus spread.
- Consider wearing a face mask in public, even where it’s not required.
Johns Hopkins Medicine experts will be available throughout the 2023–24 flu season for interviews about the epidemiology of this year’s flu virus, as well as to provide important updates about this year’s flu vaccine.
Johns Hopkins Hospital Experts
Maura Kinney, Communication Specialist, Johns Hopkins Medicine, 443-287-2243, [email protected]Media Contact:
- Clinical Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Panagis Galiatsatos, M.D., M.H.S.
- Pulmonary Physician, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Director, Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit
- Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Professor of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Director, Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response
- Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Director, Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Immune Remodeling
- Senior Director of Infection Prevention, Johns Hopkins Health System
- Hospital Epidemiologist, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Infectious Diseases Physician, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Infectious Diseases Physician, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Professor of Clinical Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Experts
Melanie Smith, Marketing Project Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 410-644-0599, [email protected]Media Contact:
- Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Hospital Epidemiologist, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Professor of Medicine and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Trials, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Experts
: Kim Polyniak, Communication Manager, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, 443-510-5807, [email protected]Media Contact
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
- Associate Hospital Epidemiologist, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Pediatric Lead for Infection Prevention, Johns Hopkins Health System
- Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
S. Christina Sadreameli, M.D., M.H.S.
- Pediatric Pulmonologist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Anna Sick-Samuels, M.D., M.P.H.
- Associate Hospital Epidemiologist, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Howard County General Hospital Experts
: Sharon Sopp, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications, Howard County General Hospital, 410-740-7646, [email protected]Media Contact
- Infectious Diseases Physician, Howard County General Hospital
- Section Chief, Medicine/Infectious Diseases, Howard County General Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital Experts
Melissa Roos, Director of Communication, Sibley Memorial Hospital, 202-309-4852, [email protected]Media Contact:
- Emergency Medicine Physician, Sibley Memorial Hospital
Suburban Hospital Experts
Melissa Roos, Interim Director of Communications, Suburban Hospital, 202-309-4852, [email protected]Media Contact:
- Medical Director and Chair of Pediatrics, Suburban Hospital
- Director of the Emergency Department, Suburban Hospital
- Instructor of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Hospital Epidemiologist and Medical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Suburban Hospital
- Hospitalist Physician, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Suburban Hospitalist Group
- Pediatric Emergency Room Physician, Bethesda Emergency Associates, Suburban Hospital
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Experts
Danielle Caci, Public Relations Manager, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, 727-767-2897, [email protected] Media Contact:
Allison Messina, M.D.
- Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital