COVID, flu and RSV: Who should get vaccinated and when?

It has been more than a year since the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency. But while the virus no longer qualifies as a crisis, experts say it will only stay under control if people get vaccinated.

“Population immunity has moved us out of the pandemic,” said Dr Manisha Patel, chief medical officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Now the goal is to make sure we keep that immunity up because it does wane. And the way we keep it up is through vaccination. That is the safest way to keep our country healthy.”

The CDC recently announced that new COVID-19 vaccines would be available later this year. The agency recommends everyone – with the exception of babies under six months old – get vaccinated to protect against serious illness this fall and winter. The recommendation applies to people who have previously been vaccinated as well as to those who have never had a COVID-19 vaccine.

People who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months before getting vaccinated, the CDC says. However, certain people may consider getting the vaccine sooner, including those at risk for severe COVID-19.

“Since the 2024-2025 COVID vaccines won’t be available until the early fall, it is still fine to get the 2023-2024 vaccine for people who need to be protected now,” Patel said.

The CDC also updated its vaccine recommendations for the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, as it gears up for the spread of respiratory infections that typically starts in the fall.

“These are some of the most commonly circulating viruses and they start to peak in the fall and winter season,” Patel said. “We time the release of the vaccines to make sure people are getting optimum protection.”

In the US, 81 per cent of adults have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but only 21 per cent got the updated 2023-24 vaccine.

That could leave many people unprotected against currently circulating strains of the virus, said Dr Hung Fu Tseng, a research scientist.

“Our protection goes away over time,” he said, adding that a regular vaccine dose is needed to keep that protection.

Like the flu vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines will offer protection against currently circulating variants during the fall and winter, Patel said. “They should protect you through the season.”

The main goal of vaccination – for any virus – is not to completely prevent infection but to reduce disease severity if an infection occurs, Tseng said. “The goal is to prevent severe outcomes, especially for the elderly, immune-compromised people and infants.”

Studies show those protections peak in the early weeks following flu and COVID-19 vaccination and then slowly wane, but remain effective for five months or longer.

Vaccines can “bring the disease from wild to mild”, Patel said. Whether they prevent someone from developing symptoms depends on numerous factors, including age and whether the person has any underlying conditions.

The best time to get a flu vaccine is September or October, with a few exceptions, the CDC says. Pregnant women in their third trimester are encouraged to get vaccinated in July or August to protect their unborn child from the flu during the first few months of life, when they are too young to get vaccinated.

Tseng said these vaccines are generally safe and encouraged anyone eligible to get them. “Unless you are certain you might be allergic to an ingredient in the vaccine, there’s no reason you shouldn’t receive them,” he said.

AP