Influenza, RSV and COVID vaccination season: who and when to get vaccinated

This month, doctors will begin offering a flu vaccine for the 2023-2024 season. At the same time, some people will be able to get another vaccine against respiratory diseases: a completely new vaccine against RSV. Very Well.

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“If you can get your shots at the same time, you should get them at the same time,” said Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an infectious disease specialist. “It would be ideal to inject into different arms, but expect more side effects such as arm soreness, fatigue and malaise when injecting at the same time.”

Here's what you need to know about vaccines and how potential new COVID boosters this fall could affect your vaccination schedule.

flu vaccine

In the US, the flu season starts in October and can continue until May.

“The flu vaccine is developed each year from influenza viruses that circulate at the end of the previous year's flu season,” said William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. “That’s why everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year before flu season.”

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Pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS are starting to stock flu shots. You can book an appointment on pharmacy websites.

Who needs a flu shot

Starting at 6 months of age, almost everyone should get an annual flu shot. This includes people who are allergic to eggs, despite previous warnings about egg-based flu vaccine technology.

“Additional safety precautions have been recommended in the past for administering egg-based influenza vaccines to people who have had severe allergic reactions to eggs,” a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. — The CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee voted that people with egg allergies can receive any flu vaccine (egg-based or non-egg) that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status. Additional safety precautions are no longer recommended for influenza vaccination beyond those recommended for receiving any vaccine."

You may not be a candidate for the flu shot if you have previously had a severe reaction to the flu shot or an allergy to an ingredient (other than eggs), such as gelatin. Some people with Guillain-Barré syndrome may also not be eligible for the flu shot. However, there are several types of flu shots, so check with your doctor to see if a safe option is available to you.

How to calculate flu shot time

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some people should consider getting vaccinated as soon as possible, including in August:

• Anyone who knows will not be able to schedule a flu shot in September or October.
• Pregnant women in the third trimester.
• Children under the age of 8 who have never received a flu shot before and need two doses of the vaccine.

But most people should wait until the fall for optimal flu protection, especially adults 65 and older, and first and second trimester pregnant women.

“I don’t advise getting the flu shot too early because it will weaken during the season, so I usually recommend October,” Adalya said.

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If it's best for your schedule to combine shots, you can get your flu shot at the same time as your RSV shot.

What flu vaccine should be given

There are several options for the flu vaccine, including a nasal spray approved for people ages 2 to 49. For people younger than 65, the CDC does not recommend any one influenza vaccine over another. However, people aged 65 and older should get a higher dose of the flu shot for better protection. These include the Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant influenza vaccine, and Fluad Quadrivalent influenza vaccine with adjuvant.

Side effects of the flu vaccine may include:

• soreness, redness and / or swelling at the injection site;
• mild headache;
• heat;
• nausea;
• muscle pain;
• fainting.

RSV vaccine

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two. But infants and the elderly are more likely to develop severe RSV and require hospitalization.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the world's first RSV vaccine. Both Pfizer's Abrysvo and GlaxoSmithKline's Arexvy will be available in doctors' offices and pharmacies by mid-August. Walgreens has already announced that people can start scheduling their RSV vaccination visits now.

Who needs the RSV vaccine

Adults 60 years of age and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine, and the CDC recommends discussing vaccination with a doctor first.

The reason the agency did not explicitly recommend the vaccine is because of the rare risk of atrial fibrillation, blood clotting problems, and the rare risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The CDC also recently recommended that all children under 8 months of age entering their first RSV season receive a newly approved injection called beyfortus (nirsevimab). Children under 19 months of age who are still considered vulnerable to severe RSV will also be eligible for the vaccine. Immunization is expected to be available this fall.

How to calculate the timing of RSV vaccination

Doctors say eligible people should get the vaccine as soon as possible so they are protected before the start of the RSV season, which usually falls in September and lasts until spring.

“People should get the RSV vaccine as soon as it becomes available because it won’t expire in one season,” Adalya said.

You can get your flu shot and RSV shot on the same day. Just be prepared for arm pain, Adalya added.

While RSV vaccines have been well tolerated in clinical trials, common side effects may include:

• pain at the injection site;
• fatigue;
• pain in the muscles;
• headache;
• joint stiffness.

How about boosters against COVID

In June, an FDA advisory committee voted unanimously to develop new COVID-19 vaccines to protect against the XBB.1.5 variant.

While this shot is expected in the fall, the CDC should make recommendations about who should get the updated vaccine, when they should get it, and whether they can get it at the same time as their flu and RSV shots.

Last season, it was considered safe to get the flu and COVID shots at the same time.

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While most people should wait until September or October for their flu shot, it is already available. RSV vaccines are also available and can be given at any time throughout the season. The timing and eligibility of the upgraded COVID boosters is yet to be determined.

Call 311 for free vaccination clinics, or search on Online by zip code, many free vaccines at your nearest federally qualified medical center.

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