Editor’s note: The following is the second in our monthly series of health-related columns. This one is written by Rachel Dumene, communications specialist with the Central Shenandoah Health District.
Which Vaccines Should I Get This Fall?
September is here; school is back in session, and cold weather will soon bring us all indoors. Each fall we are reminded to get our annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines, but which vaccines are truly ideal for you and your family this season? The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has the latest guidelines for respiratory illness vaccines below.
There are three main respiratory illnesses that usually spread during the fall and winter seasons: the flu, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Vaccines are available for all three viruses and are effective at preventing infection as well as severe illness in those who do fall ill. We’ve broken down seasonal vaccine recommendations for different groups of individuals so that you can know exactly which vaccines to get this fall.
Healthy Adults (aged 19 – 64 years)
All adults should receive an annual flu shot and an annual COVID-19 vaccine. If you have never received a COVID-19 vaccine before and would like to get one this year, it is recommended to get one dose. If you are an adult aged 50 – 74 years and are considered at increased risk for severe RSV, you should get a one-time dose of the RSV vaccine as well. Speak with your healthcare provider about increased risk categories.
Children (aged 6 months – 18 years) All children over 6 months of age should receive an annual flu shot. Children aged 6 months – 23 months should receive an annual COVID-19 shot. Children aged 2 years – 18 years in certain risk groups should receive an annual COVID-19 shot, and those not in certain risk groups can receive one if desired.
If a child is less than 8 months old, and the child’s mother did not receive an RSV vaccine while pregnant, they should receive an RSV vaccine for protection. Children aged 8 months – 19 months in certain risk groups should also receive the RSV vaccine. Speak with your child’s pediatrician today to learn more about risk groups.
Pregnant Women
Pregnant women should receive an annual flu vaccine and avoid the nasal spray flu vaccine. They should also receive an annual updated COVID-19 vaccine.
If a woman is 32–36 weeks pregnant from Sept. 1 to March 1, they should receive an RSV vaccine to help protect their baby from infection as a newborn. An RSV vaccine prompts a mother’s body to create antibodies, which are passed to their unborn baby through the placenta. This enables a newborn to be born with some protection against RSV. The RSV vaccine guidelines for pregnant women apply to each individual pregnancy, as it provides the best immunity to the unborn baby.
Older Adults (aged 65 years and over) Older adults should receive an annual flu vaccine. It should be a high-dose vaccine if possible. As we age, our immune systems naturally weaken. A high-dose flu vaccine is created and recommended specifically for older adults as it creates a stronger immune response, protecting them better from severe illness. Older adults are also recommended to get an annual COVID-19 vaccine, with an additional booster 6 months later for best protection.
All adults aged 75 years and over should receive a onetime dose of the RSV vaccine. RSV is not an annual shot - it is only needed once in your lifetime (the exception here is pregnant women, who might be recommended to receive an RSV vaccine with each pregnancy depending on the season).
Immunocompromised When someone is immunocompromised, their immune system is weakened and might have a more difficult time fighting off an infection. An illness that is mild to a healthy person could become very severe for someone who is immunocompromised. For this reason, vaccines can be one of the best tools at keeping immunocompromised individuals healthy.
Those who are immunocompromised and who are older than 6 months of age should receive annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines (and avoid the flu nasal spray vaccine) and should receive an RSV vaccine with shared decision- making between themselves and their healthcare provider.
Healthcare Workers
Those who work in healthcare settings should receive an annual flu and COVID-19 vaccine and should follow age and risk-based guidelines for an RSV vaccine.
VDH supports recently released vaccine recommendations from leading medical associations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
