A Game Plan for Timing Your Flu, Covid and RSV Shots This Fall

Respiratory virus season is around the corner. With vaccines available for Covid-19, flu and, for some people, RSV, when should you get them?

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Given we’ve had a summer bump in Covid cases, you should prioritize getting that booster as soon as you can, unless you’ve recently been infected. The flu, on the other hand, usually doesn’t start picking up until later in the fall, so you probably have a little more time. Optimal protection from a vaccine typically begins one to two weeks after getting a shot, say doctors and immunologists. Antibodies from the Covid-19 and flu vaccines remain high for about four to six months.

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Covid boosters from Pfizer and Moderna are rolling out. The Novavax booster is expected to be available later this fall. Chin-Hong says if you had bad side effects from the mRNA vaccines you might want to wait for the Novavax booster, which is protein-based.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that most people get the flu vaccine in September or October. Pregnant women in their third trimester and some children who require two doses can get it earlier in the summer. Flu cases usually start ticking up in November and peak in January before trailing off at the end of March, says Wherry. So far, influenza rates remain low, with less than 1% of tested specimens coming back positive, according to the CDC.

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The new RSV vaccines, authorized for seniors and some pregnant women, are recommended sooner rather than later because activity is picking up and RSV tends to peak earlier than the other respiratory viruses, says Wherry. There is also a new RSV drug approved to protect infants. Cases are already starting to increase in the Southeast, according to the CDC. While it’s fine to get your Covid and flu shots at the same time, doctors suggest getting the RSV shot separately. That’s because there are few studies looking at the effects of getting all three shots at the same time.

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