Readers: Will you get the vaccine trio this fall?
Updated COVID and flu vaccines are coming, along with a new RSV vaccine.
Health experts are eager to avoid another “tripledemic” this winter and have a trio of updated vaccines to get ahead of crowded hospitals as COVID cases and hospitalizations rise nationwide.
An updated COVID vaccine will be available soon, along with flu shots and the first vaccines for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. For now, the RSV vaccine will only be available to older adults and pregnant women. Together, the three vaccines will better protect the public against the respiratory season.
“There will be a lot of virus this winter. That’s why we want to get ahead of it,” CDC chief Dr. Mandy Cohen told AP News.
The FDA has approved the updated vaccine from both Pfizer and Moderna. Similarly to the flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine must be updated as the virus changes.
Most Americans haven’t had an updated COVID vaccine since at least September 2022 when the last booster was approved, according to the CDC. But experts say the best way to continue to live life as normal is to stay up to date on vaccinations.
Last year, cases of severe flu, COVID, and RSV — particularly among children under 5 and the elderly — surged, leaving hospitals across the country overwhelmed. For healthy adults, RSV typically presents as a minor cold, but it can be deadly for those at high risk. The RSV vaccine is also coming this fall and if you’re an adult aged 60 or older, the CDC recommends speaking with your doctor to see if the shot is right for you.
There is no approved RSV vaccine for young children, but your child may be eligible for an injection of lab-made antibodies to guard babies from RSV.
Will you get the latest COVID vaccine? If you’re eligible, will you get the COVID-19, flu, and RSV shots to protect yourself or your child against a tripledemic?
Let us know how you feel about the new respiratory season shots by filling out the survey below or e-mailing us at [email protected], and we may feature your response in a future article.
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