3 Vaccines expected for Fall: What You Need to Know

3 Vaccines for Fall: What You Need to Know Most Americans have had one or more shots of the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. New this year are the first shots to protect older adults from respiratory syncytial virus, a lesser-known threat whose toll in hospitalizations and deaths may rival that of flu. Federal health officials are hoping that widespread use of these three vaccines will head off another “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses like the one seen last winter. For people with insurance, all of the vaccines should be available for fr Yahoo News

New York Times

Most Americans have had one or more shots of the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. New this year are the first shots to protect older adults from respiratory syncytial virus, a lesser-known threat whose toll in hospitalizations and deaths may rival that of flu.

Federal health officials are hoping that widespread use of these three vaccines will head off another “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses like the one seen last winter. For people with insurance, all of the vaccines should be available for free.

“This is an embarrassment of riches,” said Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children’s Hospital and an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration.

This past winter, the flu peaked in December instead of in February, as it typically does. The virus may have caused as many as 58,000 deaths, a higher number than usual. COVID kept up a steady number of infections and deaths most of the season, with a peak in January.

Compared with its pattern before the pandemic, RSV peaked several weeks earlier last year, and it circulated for longer than usual.

RSV is increasingly recognized as a major respiratory threat, particularly to older adults, immunocompromised people and young children. “RSV has a burden of disease similar to flu in older adults; it can make you very, very sick,” said Dr. Helen Chu, a physician and immunologist at the University of Washington

Scientists expect respiratory viruses to return to their pre-pandemic patterns eventually, but “it’s going to be unpredictable for the next two years,” Chu said.

Which vaccines should I seek out?

Everyone should have at least the flu and COVID shots this fall, experts said.

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