Doctors see 'unprecedented' number of walking pneumonia cases in Triangle hospitals

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Triangle doctors are reporting an uptick in walking pneumonia cases, especially among children.

Dr. Daniel Park is the Medical Director of the Children's Emergency Department at UNC Hospitals.

"We are seeing a ton of walking pneumonia. It's very uncharacteristic for this time of year," said Park. "Talking to our infectious disease colleagues at the medical center, they really haven't seen this ever at this time of year, so it's unprecedented."

Doctors are strongly recommending everyone, even young children less than eight months old, get vaccinated for respiratory viruses as we head into the winter months.

Park said COVID-19 and flu cases are down right now, but health officials are bracing for them to rise.

Data shows by this point the last two years, flu cases were almost peaking.

The CDC said last season, more than a million Americans were hospitalized for a respiratory virus and more than 100,000 people died.

The federal agency said it's the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the country.

"We don't know where the peak is going to be this year," said Park. "RSV is starting to tick up and it just a matter of time when flu is going to peak."