New COVID-19 vaccines are now available at local pharmacies, health clinics, major retail outlets, and medical offices. Shots for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also widely available, as is the latest updated flu vaccine.
This year marks the first-time vaccines for all three of these major respiratory viruses are available at the same time, offering a powerful tool to mitigate the impact of these diseases. With the threat of widespread illness looming, health officials say it is important for people to understand the vaccines’ benefits, how they are tailored to protect against the current viral strains, and other best strategies for staying healthy.
The three COVID vaccines available this fall include two mRNA vaccines – one from Pfizer and one from Moderna – that target the highly prevalent KP.2 variant that, along with the closely related KP.3 variant, has been a leading cause of infections this summer. The third vaccine, a protein-based vaccine from Novavax, targets the JN.1 variant, which is the parent variant of KP.2, and which caused many infections early in 2024.
To help navigate this critical period, Yale School of Public Health Associate Professor of Public Health (Health Policy) Dr. Jason L. Schwartz, PhD, an expert in U.S. vaccination policy and public health, addresses some of the most pressing questions about these vaccines, their availability, and how we can best protect ourselves and our communities this season.
Why are flu, COVID, and RSV vaccines especially important this year?
Jason Schwartz (JS): Respiratory viruses like influenza, COVID, and RSV cause millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands of deaths in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Much of this is preventable, with vaccines as the centerpiece of our public health toolkit. We have never been better equipped with safe and effective vaccines against these viruses than we are today. Unfortunately, these vaccines are underutilized, most concerningly among the groups at the greatest risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from these diseases.
What’s new about the vaccines this year? How is the COVID vaccine formulated for current variants?
JS: The performance of every vaccine and recommendations for their use are regularly reviewed by public health officials, and modifications or other updates are made when needed. Most of us are likely familiar with the annual update to the influenza vaccine, through which the composition of the vaccine is modified with the goal of providing a better match – and thus, better protection – against the strains of the virus expected to circulate and cause disease in a given flu season. A similar strategy has been adopted for making annual updates to COVID vaccines, even though there are important differences between influenza and COVID with respect to seasonality and other factors. Therefore, as we enter the fall, newly updated influenza and COVID vaccines have been approved recently by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and will be widely available beginning this month.
The RSV vaccine does not require similar updates or reformulations, and so the array of promising vaccines that have been introduced over the past few years remain available as respiratory virus season approaches this fall and winter.
Do experts expect there to be new waves of each virus this fall/winter season?
JS: Yes! For respiratory viruses like influenza, COVID, and RSV, the question is not whether waves will occur each fall or winter, but exactly when waves and peaks will occur within those seasons and how severe they will be. Our ability to make these types of forecasts with accuracy or precision is quite limited and far from perfect. So, the best approach for all of us is to take these health threats seriously now and make use of vaccines and other prevention strategies that can limit their severity and spread.
Who should get the new COVID, flu, and/or RSV vaccines? What are the best ways to obtain each vaccine?
JS: The CDC recommends COVID and flu vaccines for everyone 6 months of age or older, regardless of their prior vaccination history against either virus. For most of us, a single dose of each vaccine this fall is sufficient, and both vaccines can be administered at the same visit. There are benefits of vaccination for everyone, but it is particularly important for older adults, people with underlying health conditions, and those with weakened immune systems, the leading risk factors for more severe illness from these viruses.
The “fine print” of COVID and flu vaccine recommendations varies slightly for young children and those with weakened immune systems. These individuals or their families, like everyone, should consult with their physicians, pharmacist, or other health care providers for additional information about vaccine recommendations.
The recommendations for RSV vaccination are a bit more complicated. Vaccination is currently recommended for all adults ages 75 and older, as well as those adults ages 60-74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease. To prevent RSV in infants, a different RSV vaccine is recommended for pregnant people, or infants can be immunized with an RSV vaccine monoclonal antibody.
Again, a conversation with one’s health care provider is the best way to identify and learn more about the vaccines recommended for them. Vaccines will be widely available beginning this month in doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and other locations throughout the fall and winter.
How much do these vaccines cost? Are they covered by insurance?
JS: Like all recommended vaccines for children, these vaccines are provided at no cost to families, regardless of insurance status or type of insurance. For adults, vaccines are available with no out-of-pocket costs for those with private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Uninsured adults should consult their local health department or Federally Qualified Health Center for information about free or low-cost vaccines available in their community.
What are some additional ways people can stay safe this fall/winter season?
JS: Vaccination is an incredibly valuable tool against respiratory illnesses, but there are additional prevention strategies that can keep people healthy in the months ahead. The CDC refers to five “core prevention strategies” in its current respiratory virus guidance. In addition to vaccines, those include hygiene (such as washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes), cleaner air through ventilation or other approaches, antiviral treatments when infected (in order to reduce the risk of severe illness), and staying home when sick to prevent further spread.
Beyond those core strategies, CDC points to the continued value of additional strategies – masks, distancing, and tests – that we all became familiar with during earlier stages of the COVID pandemic and that remain effective today.
By receiving recommended vaccines and making use of this arsenal of prevention strategies, all of us can do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities healthy this fall and winter.