BHS, CHP Urge Parents to Protect Children from RSV Virus

08:00AM / Wednesday, November 30, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and Community Health Programs (CHP) released a press release urging parents to take preventive measures to protect their children against seasonal respiratory illnesses, particularly the surging respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

With flu season emerging and COVID-19 persisting, the risk of triple-virus exposure – especially for very young children – is straining hospitals and pediatric healthcare providers across the U.S., Massachusetts and the Berkshires.

In Massachusetts, the five-week average of RSV cases detected by PCR test was 4.4 on March 19, 2022. By Nov. 12, however, that figure had jumped to 296.3, according to data reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

For most people, including children, RSV behaves like a cold and lasts about two weeks. But some children are at higher risk and require hospitalization.

Unlike flu and COVID-19, there is no vaccine for RSV, a longstanding common seasonal illness. However, RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and very young children. Young children with underlying health conditions are especially vulnerable.

"The first years of the COVID-19 pandemic caused parents to protect their children against exposure to illness, which means very young children haven't had the chance to build natural RSV immunity," said Dr. Laura Need, CHP associate medical director and a pediatrician at CHP Berkshire Pediatrics. "As a result, some children are becoming sicker and require hospital care."

In November three statewide medical associations urged the public to take preventive measures following a worrisome spike in RSV diagnoses and hospitalizations.

"Mirroring hospitals across the Commonwealth and the nation, Berkshire Health Systems is experiencing significant challenges with providing care for a population impacted by three viruses circulating at once," said James Lederer, MD, BHS chief medical officer/chief quality officer. "We have consistently had between 8 and 12 COVID-19 in-patients for the past several months with a community transmission rate that remains higher than we'd like. RSV is a serious concern in our pediatric population, with influenza also heading into peak season in coming weeks and months."

Parents and caregivers are advised to take the following measures to keep their children safe from RSV and other viruses:

Keep sick children at home and keep them home until 24 hours after symptoms are gone.
Wash hands and surfaces frequently.
If possible avoid bringing children to crowded indoor settings.
If children attend indoor settings, those who are able should wear a mask, even if they are well.
Call the pediatric office if a child develops a high fever or has trouble breathing.

Across the state, hospitals are reporting that their pediatric in-patient hospital capacity is stretched for children whose illness becomes serious enough to require inpatient care.

CHP Berkshire Pediatrics has been working to keep up with an increase in calls about RSV. At Berkshire Health Systems, the inpatient Pediatric Unit at Berkshire Medical Center and the Emergency Departments at BMC and Fairview Hospital are seeing numerous cases of RSV.

"It's important not to focus too much on one particular illness since viruses are happening simultaneously and overlapping," said Need. "Most importantly, parents should have children 6 months and older vaccinated against flu and COVID-19, to keep those illnesses at bay, or to lessen the effects of those viruses."

Tags: BHS, BMC, CHP,

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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