Covid-19 levels in the United States are high and rising, flu season is approaching quickly, and RSV cases are already starting to tick up. <\/p>\n
Forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that this respiratory disease season will be similar to last year\u2019s \u2014 which brought more than 20 hospitalizations for every 100,000 people in one week at its peak \u2014 and far worse than in pre-pandemic years. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s a chance that the burden of disease could be lower, however, and vaccination rates will be a key factor in that trajectory. <\/p>\n
Last year was the first year that the US had vaccines available to protect against all three major respiratory viruses \u2014 Covid-19, flu and RSV \u2014 but vaccine uptake was low for the season. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated,\u201d CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. \u201cMake a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.\u201d <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to know about the vaccines available to protect yourself this season. <\/p>\n
The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older receive a Covid-19 vaccine this season to stay up to date. The virus is continuously evolving, and newer versions of the vaccine could offer better protection against severe disease by targeting newer variants. <\/p>\n
There are multiple options available; mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer were updated to target KP.2, one of the so-called FLiRT variants that have been dominant in the US since May. Those vaccines are for people 6 months and older. A more traditional protein vaccine from Novavax is also available, but it targets JN.1, a variant that is still circulating but less prominently than a few months ago. The Novavax vaccine is approved only for those ages 12 and up. <\/p>\n
We don\u2019t know how effective these vaccines will be in practice. But the Covid-19 vaccines provided 54% protection against symptomatic infection last season, CDC data shows, despite new variants that cropped up. <\/p>\n
The updated Covid-19 vaccines are available now, but ideal timing for getting the shot may differ based on individual circumstances. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the most protection in the first few weeks to months after vaccination, and after that, antibodies tend to wane,\u201d Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, the American Medical Association\u2019s liaison to the CDC\u2019s independent vaccine advisory committee and a member of its Covid-19 vaccine workgroup, said on a recent podcast. \u201cSo you might want to time vaccination so antibodies will be at their peak for big events like weddings and major meetings. But understand, while you wait, you still run the risk of getting infected with Covid, and it\u2019s much safer to build up antibodies with vaccination than with infection.\u201d <\/p>\n
CDC data from last season suggests that protection drops sharply about four months after someone receives a vaccine. For those who get the shot now, that could leave them with less protection around what has typically been the height of the respiratory virus season. <\/p>\n
But Covid-19 is circulating at very high levels right now, so those at higher risk \u2013 including seniors or people who are immunocompromised \u2013 probably should not wait, Fryhofer said. They should get the updated dose as soon as possible, at least two months after their last dose or at least three months after a recent infection. <\/p>\n
Others who were recently infected may want to wait up to six months to get an updated shot, epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina recently wrote on her blog. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t hurt if you get it earlier, but some research shows that waiting allows our antibody factories to update more effectively,\u201d she wrote. <\/p>\n
A seasonal flu vaccine is also recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, and September and October are the optimal time for people to get their shot, according to the CDC. <\/p>\n
Most people need only one dose of flu vaccine each year. But some children who are getting a flu vaccine for the first time should get two doses, spaced four weeks apart. <\/p>\n
A higher-dose formulation of the flu vaccine is also available for those 65 and older. <\/p>\n
RSV can be especially dangerous for older adults, as well as infants and young children. Vaccines are available to protect both groups. <\/p>\n
The CDC updated its recommendations for older adults this year with clearer guidance. All adults 75 and older should get a single RSV shot, along with those 60 and older who are at increased risk from certain chronic medical conditions such as lung or heart disease or because they live in a nursing home or long-term care facility. <\/p>\n
Unlike the flu and Covid-19 vaccines, the RSV vaccine is one-time dose. Older adults who received an RSV vaccine last year when they first became available do not need to get another one this year. <\/p>\n
Pregnant women can receive an RSV vaccine that will protect a newborn, or antibodies can be given to an infant after birth. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s safe to get both a Covid-19 and flu vaccine at the same time, according to the CDC, and it may be more convenient, rather than putting one shot off and getting sick in the meantime. If you\u2019re getting more than one shot at a time, it can be in the same arm, at least one inch apart, or in different arms. <\/p>\n
The CDC says it\u2019s also acceptable to get Covid-19, flu and RSV shots at one time, for those who are eligible. There\u2019s no recommended wait time between them. However, the agency says, \u201cpeople who get an RSV vaccine and a flu vaccine at the same visit might be more likely to have injection-site reactions or other common side effects after vaccination. Additional research is occurring to understand this better.\u201d <\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t a combination vaccine available so far but it might not be too far off \u2014 Moderna recently said it plans to file in 2024 for regulatory approval for a combination Covid-19-flu vaccine. <\/p>\n
Covid-19, flu and RSV vaccines are widely available at pharmacies across the US. The federal government has a vaccine locator to help find available doses but notes that appointments and availability should be confirmed directly with the provider. <\/p>\n
Vaccines may also be available from local health departments or physicians\u2019 offices, but probably not as readily. <\/p>\n
For children and young infants, parents should check with their pediatrician. However, multiple challenges from last year \u2014 including age cutoffs at pharmacies and limited stock at pediatricians\u2019 offices \u2014 may persist this season. <\/p>\n
These vaccines are covered by most insurance plans. Most people with private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid will still be able to get vaccinated at no out-of-pocket cost. <\/p>\n
However, a federal program that last year provided free Covid-19 vaccines to adults without insurance and those whose insurance didn\u2019t cover all vaccine costs has now ended due to a lack of federal funding. For adults without insurance or those whose insurance does not cover the vaccine, getting the updated Covid-19 shot at a pharmacy could cost $201.99. <\/p>\n
Free shots may still be available for people without insurance in some places. The CDC announced last month that it is distributing $62 million to state and local health departments to provide free Covid-19 vaccines to adults who wouldn\u2019t otherwise be able to afford them. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Covid-19 levels in the United States are high and rising, flu season is approaching quickly, and RSV cases are already starting to tick up. Forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that this respiratory disease season will be similar to last year\u2019s \u2014 which brought more than 20 hospitalizations for every …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_primary_category":0,"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":530,"tinysalt_single_post_intro_label":"","tinysalt_single_post_intro_description":"","tinysalt_hide_post_featured_image":"","tinysalt_post_featured_media_position":"","tinysalt_single_site_header_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header":"0","tinysalt_single_custom_sticky_site_header_style":"sticky-scroll-up","tinysalt_single_site_footer_source":"","tinysalt_single_custom_site_footer":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1361\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/retirednurseblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}