It’s time to get flu and Covid-19 shots.(CNN NEWS)-
Respiratory virus season has arrived in the United States and health officials say that October is a prime time to get vaccinated.
Vaccines for Covid-19, flu and RSV are available now. While the respiratory virus season tends to peak between December and March, getting vaccinated in the fall can help provide protection throughout the season.
It takes about two weeks for the body to build up a complete immune response after vaccination, but the protective benefits can last for months, said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.
Covid-19 is already circulating at high levels in the US, and flu won’t be far behind.
“We’re still trying to understand exactly what our new normal respiratory disease seasons are going to look like, but we are already seeing a lot of respiratory disease activity in a lot of places across the country,” Hamilton said. “I would really encourage folks to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that this respiratory disease season will be similar to last year’s — which brought more than 20 hospitalizations for every 100,000 people in one week at its peak — and far worse than in pre-pandemic years. At least 200 children died from flu during the 2023-24 season, according to the CDC, more than any other year on record — and most were unvaccinated.
A study published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the 2024 Southern Hemisphere seasonal flu vaccine reduced the risk of influenza-associated hospitalization among high-risk groups by 35%. If similar flu viruses circulate in the Northern Hemisphere this season, the vaccine efficacy could be similar.
Vaccination rates will be a key factor in the trajectory of illnesses.
“The fall respiratory disease vaccines really are a game changer,” Hamilton said. “They are amazing at limiting severe infections, keeping you out of the hospital, as well as helping the time that you’re sick or away from work as short as possible.”
Here’s what to know about the vaccines available to protect yourself this season. Read more…..
