It’s September — back-to-school season is in full swing, the days are getting shorter, the fall equinox is just 16 days away, pumpkin spice lattes are popping up in coffee shops, and Halloween decorations are in all stores.
We are also on the cusp of respiratory virus season.
Each year, we see spikes in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 during the fall and winter.
And if you want to protect yourself (and create a healthier community), getting vaccinated must be a priority.
Vaccines generate immunity in our bodies before we are exposed to a pathogen and reduce the likelihood that we will get sick or the severity of our symptoms. They are a form of primary prevention. A study published in The Lancet found that vaccines saved 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years. And according to the Mayo Clinic, the flu vaccine prevented about 7.5 million illnesses, 3.7 million doctor visits, 105,000 hospital stays, and 6,300 deaths during the 2019-2020 respiratory virus season.
In today’s post, I’m answering three questions —
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
What Vaccines Are Available?
As we get closer to respiratory virus season (which typically runs October through March), vaccines are available to protect against —
influenza
COVID-19
RSV
You have a choice when it comes to COVID vaccines. You can elect to get one of the mRNA vaccines made by either Pfizer or Moderna. Or you can get Novavax (if you are 12+), which is a protein-based vaccine (older technology).
**Please note — influenza and COVID vaccines are seasonal vaccines, meaning you get a shot to protect against each every year. The RSV vaccine is a single shot that (currently) does not require additional doses. One and done. ✅
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
Each year EVERYONE (who is greater than 6 months of age) should receive BOTH an influenza vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine.
RSV vaccines are NOT available to everyone. CDC recommends a single dose of RSV vaccines for:
All adults ages 75 and older
Adults ages 60-74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease
Individuals who are pregnant should get an RSV vaccine.
And RSV monoclonal antibodies are available to protect infants and young children.
When Should I Get Vaccinated?
Everyone is trying to determine when is the PERFECT time to get vaccinated…
wait too long and you may get sick before you are vaccinated. Get vaccinated too soon and you may not have much protection as we roll into the end of the respiratory virus season.
Here is the truth of the matter regarding the timing of your vaccines — and yes, I consulted my Magic 8 Ball —
There is no way to determine or time your shots perfectly.
COVID is spreading now (wastewater levels are still very high across the country). Levels of influenza are still low across the country — there is no telling when those numbers will increase. If you haven’t had COVID or flu recently, you could get vaccinated today and get a jump on the respiratory virus season. OR you could wait and hope you don’t get sick — delaying your vaccines so you have fresh protection closer to the holidays. OR you could get your COVID shot now since the virus is spreading and wait to get your flu shot until October (before we anticipate the spread to increase).
There is no perfect time to get your vaccine.
The important thing is to GET VACCINATED (just like the Magic 8 Ball says).
A lot of people have asked what I am planning to do…
I am definitely going to wait to get my flu shot.
I will get mine in mid-October (before Halloween). As for COVID, I think I am going to wait and get my shot with my flu vaccine. But I’m not 100% sure about this…
If the number of COVID cases in my community (based on what I’m hearing from my students and what is happening in the local schools) and the wastewater data continue to rise, I may get my COVID shot earlier. But there is some indication that the summer COVID wave is peaking — and if that is the case, I may wait and reserve my fresh immunity for November, December, and January when we anticipate another COVID wave of cases.
I’ll let you know what I decide…
Couple of additional notes — you can get your COVID and flu shots at the same time. And in the same arm (though expect it to be extra sore).
What questions do you have about vaccines? Happy to answer questions about the science, policy recommendations, or what we are doing personally.
And please be sure to share this post with your friends and family — for two reasons. First, the vast majority of individuals who recently were hospitalized or died of influenza or COVID had NOT been vaccinated in the previous 12 months. Vaccines are so important for improving individual health. And second, to create healthy communities, increase herd/community immunity, and protect our healthcare systems from being overrun during respiratory virus season, we need to increase the percentage of individuals in our communities who are vaccinated.
Epi(demiology) Matters is written by Dr. Becky Dawson, PhD MPH — an epidemiologist, teacher, mom, wife, and dedicated yogi. She is a tenured professor at Allegheny College, Research Director at a community hospital, and an exclusive contributor (all things health & medicine) at Erie News Now (NBC/CBS). Her goal is to create healthy communities for all. She writes Epi Matters — first & foremost because epidemiology does matter (to all of us) and she hopes that each post will help to educate and empower readers to be healthy and create healthy communities.
Be sure you and your friends and family are subscribed so you don’t miss a post —
Epi(demiology) Matters is free — because science, reports, news, updates, and alerts about health should NOT be behind a paywall. EVER. Everyone needs access to up-to-date health information in order to be healthy and create healthy communities for all.
Thanks, Becky!
Thank you so very much, Dr. Becky! I will be sharing this great information ASAP to my family members!