AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — In the last week, two people have been hospitalized at UCHealth hospitals with influenza and doctors are expecting an early start to the respiratory virus season.

Doctors are warning Coloradans about the possibility of another difficult year in which flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, are circulating at the same time.

Dr. Michelle Barron, the senior medical director of infection prevention at UCHealth, said the predictions are based on the activity in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Australia.

“They saw an upsurge in COVID and then they saw flu and RSV kind of overtake, and again, lots of children being affected by RSV and flu. So I think that is the same concern, is that we are going to see that same kind of pattern,” Barron said.

Last year brought ‘a lot of RSV’

She said this year could be similar to last year when hospitals were full of children.

“We saw a lot of RSV, like a lot more than we had seen previously,” she said.

Barron said now is the time to prepare. She said the new flu shots will be available in September and to keep an eye out for the availability of other vaccines.

The new COVID-19 vaccine has been changed to target the most current version of the virus. 

“A new COVID vaccine will be available, but probably not until October, early October, and there is also a new RSV vaccine for adults over the age of 60 that, again, probably beginning of October is when we will start to see those available,” she said.

The new RSV vaccine will be available for pregnant women in their third trimester to offer protection for their babies when they are born.