What to know to be protected this winter
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all Americans consult with their health care provider about receiving vaccines for COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (flu).
In addition, an RSV vaccine may be recommended by health care providers for adults ages 60 and over and for pregnant people. Preventative treatments or therapies for RSV may be recommended for infants and young children.
“Vaccines not only protect the individual who is vaccinated, but also those with whom they come in contact,” says physician Lisa Y. Harris, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “When we are out in public, it isn’t readily apparent who among us has a compromised immune system, and for whom catching COVID-19, flu, or RSV could be deadly.”
Harris also notes that since COVID-19, RSV, and flu are each caused by a virus, antibiotics are not a treatment option. Prevention is key, and vaccines provide the best protection.
All about the updated COVID-19 vaccine
• Who should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine?
CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past two months, an updated COVID-19 vaccine can protect you. There are updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
• Why do we need to keep getting COVID-19 vaccines?
The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time.
• Do COVID-19 vaccines really work?
According to the CDC, last season, those who received a 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2022-2023 vaccine. Vaccination also reduces the chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.
All About the Flu and Flu Vaccine
• What is the Flu?
Seasonal influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. During typical flu seasons, millions of people get flu, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes.
• How do flu vaccines work?
Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against flu illness.
• Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over others?
All flu vaccines in the United States are “quadrivalent” vaccines, which means they protect against four different flu viruses. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years. For people 65 years and older, there are three flu vaccines that are preferred by the CDC.
• Who should be vaccinated?
Everyone 6 months and older in the United States should get the flu vaccine every season with rare exception.
• Can I get the flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?
It’s possible to get sick with flu even if you have been vaccinated (although you won’t know for sure unless you get a flu test). If you go get the flu, being vaccinated may reduce the severity.
• Can I get the flu from a flu vaccine?
You cannot get flu from a flu shot. The viruses in a flu shot are killed (inactivated).
• Are there side effects of flu vaccine?
Low grade fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, runny nose, wheezing, headache.
If these problems occur, they begin soon after vaccination and usually are mild and short-lived.
• What is the best time of year to get the flu vaccine?
The flu season typically lasts from late August until early May. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. It is never too early, or too late to get the flu vaccine.
• Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?
A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually, and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season.
• Does flu vaccine work right away?
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection.
All About RSV and the RSV vaccine
• What is RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious lung infection. Anyone of any age can get it. Symptoms in kids and healthy adults are usually mild and like a cold. In older adults (age 60+), people with heart and lung disease, and anyone with a weak immune system, RSV can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia, result in hospitalization, and can even cause death. The CDC estimates there are 60,000–160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000–10,000 deaths annually due to RSV among adults aged 65 years and older.
• What vaccines are approved for older adults for prevention of RSV, and is there a difference between them?
There are two RSV vaccines approved for adults ages 60 years and older – one from GSK and the other from Pfizer. CDC does not have a preferential recommendation for either vaccine. Patients who are 60 years and older may receive whichever vaccine is available, in consultation with their health care provider.
• The RSV vaccine for pregnant people?
The CDC recommends the RSV vaccine for pregnant people to protect their babies from severe RSV disease. Pregnant people should get a single dose of Pfizer’s bivalent RSVpreF vaccine (Abrysvo) during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy during September through January. Consult your health care provider to see if the RSV vaccine is recommended.
• Are there preventative treatments or therapies for RSV for infants and young children?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the nirsevimab for infants less than eight months of age born during or entering their first RSV season, and for infants and children ages eight to 19 months who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease and who are entering their second RSV season. Consult your pediatrician to see if the RSV vaccine is recommended.
• Which older adults are most likely to benefit from RSV vaccination?
RSV can cause serious illness in adults with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors. Adults aged 60 years and older who are at higher risk for severe RSV include: those with chronic medical conditions, those who are frail, those of advanced age, those who reside in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, those with other underlying medical conditions or factors that a health care provider determines might increase the risk of severe respiratory disease.
• What are the side effects of RSV vaccine?
The most common side effects after RSV vaccination are pain, redness, and swelling where the shot is given, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle or joint pain. These side effects are usually mild.
• What is the best time of year to get the RSV vaccine?
Ideally, the vaccine should be given before the fall and winter RSV season. The CDC recommends getting the RSV vaccine as early as possible.
Submitted by Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield.