Tis the season to get your shots

Cold and flu season may be less painful this winter, thanks to a variety of new or refreshed flu, COVID and RSV vaccines.

“We have many more options this year,” said Dr. Adam Licurse, a primary care physician at Brigham & Women’s hospital in Boston and senior medical director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “Kids, adults and older people all have the opportunity to have a much healthier holiday season.”

The vaccines currently available have been updated to combat the virus variants that are most commonly circulating around the globe this year.

Who should get what

These vaccines are fully covered by health plans, available from your health care provider, neighborhood pharmacy or clinic. The CDC’s vaccine finder is an easy way to find a pharmacy that offers vaccinations.

The shots are safe and can be given together, though some patients decide to space out vaccinations to minimize side effects such as mild aches.

“They help prevent people from getting infected and perhaps even more importantly, lessen the severity of the illness if people do become infected,” Licurse said.

Where to get the facts

If the variety of new options seems confusing, Licurse urges physicians to encourage their patients to ask questions. Useful information also is available from credible sources such as the Centers for Disease Control.

“It can be helpful to do a little reading about all the dangerous conditions vaccines help prevent,” Licurse said. For example, according to the CDC:

• Flu vaccination prevents tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year, including an estimated 100,000 in the 2019 season. A 2022 Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal study found flu vaccines reduced a child’s risk of severe life-threatening influenza by 75%.
• Researchers found 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine provided more than 50% increased protection against COVID-19-associated emergency department and urgent care visits and hospitalizations.
• RSV, though usually a mild infection with cold-like symptoms, can be a severe risk for infants and the elderly. Studies show RSV vaccines for elderly adults were at least 77% effective at preventing emergency room visits and up to 83% effective at preventing hospitalizations, while the RSV vaccine for children was 80% to 90% effective in preventing hospitalization.