Here's How to Plan For Your Seasonal Vaccinations This Fall
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Fact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways
Flu and RSV vaccines will be available for certain groups starting this month.
Timing matters. Flu shot protection wanes over the season, but RSV shot protection does not.
Update COVID vaccines will be availability imminently pending CDC signoff.
It’s time to start thinking about flu season.
This month, pharmacies and doctors’ offices will begin offering the 2023–2024 flu vaccine. In tandem, certain people will be able to receive another shot for respiratory illness: the brand new RSV vaccine.
And yes: You can get both vaccines at the same time.
“If the only time you can get the shots is at the same time, you should get them at the same time,” Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an infectious diseases specialist, told Verywell. “It would be ideal to get injections in different arms but anticipate more side effects such as arm soreness, fatigue, and malaise with coadministration.”
Here’s what you need to know about both vaccines, and how potential new COVID boosters later this fall could come into play for your vaccination schedule, too.
Flu Vaccine
In the U.S., flu season begins in October and can last as late as May.
“The flu vaccine is developed each year based on the flu viruses that are circulating at the end of the last year’s flu season,” William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, told Verywell. “That’s why everyone 6 months and older should have a flu vaccine each year before the start of flu season.”
Pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS are beginning to stock the flu shot. You can walk in or make appointments on the pharmacy websites.
Who Needs a Flu Shot?
From the age of 6 months onward, almost everyone should be getting an annual flu shot. That includes people with egg allergies, despite previous warnings about egg-based flu shot technology.
“In the past, there have been additional safety measures recommended for administration of egg-based flu vaccines to people who have had severe allergic reactions to egg,” a spokesperson for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Verywell. “The CDC vaccine advisory committee voted that people with egg-allergy may receive any flu vaccine (egg-based or non-egg based) that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status. Additional safety measures are no longer recommended for flu vaccination beyond those recommended for receipt of any vaccine.”
You may not be a candidate for a flu shot if you’ve previously had a severe reaction to the shot, or are allergic to an ingredient (besides egg), like gelatin. Some people with Guillain-Barré syndrome may also be ineligible for flu shots. However, there are multiple types of flu shots, so consult with a healthcare provider to see if a safe option is available for you.
How to Time Your Flu Shot
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some people should consider the vaccine as soon as possible, including in the month of August:
Anyone who know the will be unable to schedule flu a shot in September or October
Pregnant people in their third trimester
Children up to age 8 who have never received a flu shot before and require two doses of the vaccine
But most people should wait until fall for optimal flu protection, especially adults 65 and older and pregnant people in their first and second trimester.
“I don’t advise getting the flu shot too early because its protection will wane during the season—so I usually recommend October,” Adalja said.
If it works best for your schedule to combine vaccinations, you can get your flu shot at the same time as your RSV shot.
Which Flu Vaccine Should You Get?
There are several versions of the flu vaccine, including a nasal spray approved for people between ages 2 and 49. For people younger than 65, the CDC does not recommend any one flu vaccine over another. People 65 and older, however, should get a higher-dose flu shot for better protection. Those include Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine, and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.
Potential Side Effects
Side effects of the flu vaccine can include:
Soreness, redness, and/or swelling at the injection site
Mild headache
Fever
Nausea
Muscle aches
Occasional 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 older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.
Related: Can Adults Get RSV?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first-ever RSV vaccines. Both Abrysvo, made by Pfizer, and Arexvy, made by GlaxoSmithKline, will be available by mid-August in doctors’ offices and pharmacies. Walgreens has already announced that people can start scheduling their RSV vaccine appointments now.
Who Needs an RSV Vaccine?
Adults age 60 and older are eligible for an RSV shot, and the CDC recommends discussing vaccination with a doctor first.
The reason the agency didn’t outright recommended the vaccine is because of a rare risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart clotting problem, and a rare risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Takeaway
The CDC also recently recommended that all babies under 8 months old entering their first RSV season receive a newly-approved injection called Beyfortus (nirsevimab). Children up to 19 months who are still considered vulnerable to severe RSV will be eligible as well. The immunization is expected to be available this fall.
How to Time Your RSV Vaccine
Doctors say eligible people should get the vaccine as soon as possible so they are protected before RSV season starts, which is usually in September and lasts through the spring.
“People should get the RSV vaccine as soon as it is available because its duration will not wane during one season,” Adalja said.
You can get the flu shot and the RSV shot on the same day. Just be prepared for a sore arm, Adalja added.
Potential Side Effects
While the RSV vaccines were well-tolerated in clinical trials, common side effects may include:
Injection site pain
Fatigue
Muscle pain
Headache
Joint stiffness
What About COVID Boosters?
In June, an advisory committee to the FDA unanimously voted to develop new COVID-19 vaccines to protect against the XBB.1.5 variant. The FDA has since approved updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which should also protect against BA.2.86 and EG.5.
Related: New COVID-19 Vaccines Should Protect Against BA.2.86 and EG.5, Early Research Shows
It’s up to the CDC to make recommendations about whether or not people can get the COVID shot at the same time as flu and RSV shots.
Last season, it was considered safe to get a flu and COVID shot at the same time.
What This Means For You
While most people should wait until September or October for a flu shot, it is available now. RSV vaccines are also available, and can be administered at any time throughout the season.
Insurance should cover these vaccinations. No insurance coverage? Call 311 to find out about free clinics for vaccinations, or search findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov by zip code for many free vaccines at a federally qualified health center near you.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
