Experts' recommendations on the optimal timing for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations vary, but they agree on one point: people should do every thing they will to make sure they really get the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everybody age 6 months and older get a flu shot annually. newly approved and updated Vaccines against COVID-19.
The The instructions for respiratory syncytial virus are more complicatedThe vaccine is beneficial for people over 75; for people between 60 and 74 who’ve chronic diseases; and for ladies between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant who give birth through the RSV season. Those who’ve had the RSV vaccine within the last yr don’t need one other one unless they’ve turn out to be pregnant again and wish to transfer protection to a brand new baby.
The best immune response is achieved when the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are staggered. However, people also need to contemplate whether they are going to get vaccinated again or whether or not they are more likely to forget the shots or are too busy, said Jenna Guthmiller, an assistant professor of immunology and microbiology on the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She didn’t specify how far apart the vaccinations needs to be.
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“If it's convenient for you to get them all at once, then just do it,” she said. “Some protection is better than no protection.”
Ideally, people would get vaccinated in late October because flu outbreaks within the state typically peak toward the tip of the yr, Guthmiller said.
Not everyone agrees that waiting is the perfect plan.
While some people wish to get their shots closer to the vacations, getting vaccinated early ensures people don't get sick or spread the viruses to others through the first few weeks of respiratory season, says Dr. Amy Duckro, an infectious disease specialist at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. She personally likes to get flu and COVID-19 shots together so she only has negative effects every year.
“I would recommend getting it as soon as possible. It takes some time for immunity to develop,” she said.
Given the high variety of COVID-19 cases currently circulating, it's best to get vaccinated as soon as possible, said Beth Carlton, chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health on the Colorado School of Public Health. People needs to be adequately protected against the flu so long as they get vaccinated before Halloween, she said.
Last yr Flu vaccinations remain stablewhile the number of individuals getting vaccinated against COVID-19 declined. Relatively few people received a brand new RSV vaccinationwhich generally causes colds but will be fatal in infants and the elderly.
So far, acceptance of the brand new flu and COVID-19 vaccines has been relatively high, said Jessica Chenoweth, who oversees 17 CVS pharmacies along the Front Range. She's undecided what has modified to revive people's interest.
“It feels consistent with what I’ve seen over the past few years,” she said.
People who received a COVID-19 booster shot through the summer surge should wait two months before getting their next dose, although they may get the flu shot sooner in the event that they wish, Chenoweth said. But generally, she recommends getting all seasonal vaccinations without delay to avoid missing one.
Some individuals who received the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost last yr can have to pay out of pocket this fall. The Bridge Access program, which funded COVID-19 vaccines for the uninsured, ended this yrhowever the CDC said it can provide $62 million to state and native health departments to buy vaccines that they can provide out at no cost.
Chenoweth said the vaccine costs about $200 if an uninsured person pays money. Almost all insurance policy cover it.
The flu and COVID-19 vaccines are modified yearly to accommodate the prevalent variants. RSV doesn’t evolve as quickly, so the vaccine is identical one which was introduced last yr.
For the primary time in a decade Flu vaccine will include three strainsas a substitute of 4. The Yamagata influenza B strain has not shown up in testing since March 2020, and flu makers dropped it from the vaccine this yr. Unlike influenza A strains, flu B circulates only amongst humans, so the Yamagata strain apparently couldn't survive when transmission of the respiratory virus plummeted early within the pandemic, said Guthmiller, the CU researcher.
“There is a strong belief that this species is extinct,” she said.
The updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna teach the body to make the spike protein from the KP.2 variant of the virus, which is a Cousin of the currently dominant KP.3.1.1. When the body sees the spike, it develops antibodies against it, reducing the chance of an individual coming into contact with the actual virus. The disembodied spike proteins produced after vaccination cannot infect anyone with the virus, although some people may feel drained or unwell because of this of their immune response.
The updated Novavax vaccinationwhich injects the spike protein directly relies on the variant JN.1, which dominated last winter.
In addition to getting vaccinated, people can protect themselves and others by staying home after they feel sick, washing their hands often, practicing general healthy habits and wearing a mask in crowded spaces after they feel comfortable doing so, Duckro said.
“We certainly don’t want to rely solely on vaccines,” she said.
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