COVID and FLU and RSV. Oh My!

This fall, your best defense against these viral beasts is a good offense. COVID-19 cases have risen. Flu season is fast approaching. And outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, infections also typically occur in late fall and into the winter months.

The good news: there are vaccines and treatments that reduce risks from all three of these major viruses likely to circulate this season.

“Stay current with vaccinations – getting vaccinated is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself,” says Andrew Jameson, MD, infectious disease specialist with Trinity Health Medical Group. “A good strategy for many may be to get their shots at the same time, in late September or October.”

Dr. Jameson shares the best offensive strategies for each virus in more detail.

It’s baaaaack: COVID

“There has been a recent rise in Covid cases, and the virus has evolved and mutated again into more variants,” said Dr. Jameson. “Vaccines continue to be one of the best ways to protect yourself against severe Covid.

On September 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated mRNA vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that provide better protection against hospitalization and death and will boost your immunity to the most common COVID variants circulating in our communities right now.

Everyone ages 6 months and older can get the updated shot if they have not received an older version of the vaccine in the past two months.

An additional way to boost your immunity against COVID: Same arm.

A recent study, published in The Lancet, looked at the benefits of same-arm vaccinations.

“This is a well-done study with good data that suggests getting your Covid shot in the same arm as you’ve had previous Covid shots does strengthen your immune response to the virus,” said Dr. Jameson. “The cells that respond to the vaccine are in your lymph nodes, and you can potentially get a better response if the immune cells are re-stimulated in the same location – or same arm.”

To keep track of COVID outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes and updates a COVID-19 Map

Next up: Influenza

The flu kills about 35,000 Americans each year and weakens the body in ways that make heart attacks and strokes more common, especially among the elderly.

“The flu can knock people out for weeks, even younger people,” said Dr. Jameson. “An annual flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older, but it’s most important for those ages 65 and older, children under 5 and people with weak immune systems.”

Getting a flu vaccine is a simple and effective way to decrease the spread of the flu virus to others and lower your risk of getting seriously ill if you do get the flu because it helps decrease the severity of your symptoms.

This year’s flu vaccine is a very good match to the circulating flu virus and is now available at drugstores, hospitals, doctor’s offices and elsewhere.

To follow flu activity where you live, the CDC publishes and updates weekly flu maps.

And last, but not least: RSV

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover in a week or two. For infants, immunocompromised people, and older adults, however, RSV can be serious and even fatal.

Since RSV tends to circulate earlier than the flu, now is the time to consider these FDA-approved vaccines to prevent RSV:

• Arexvy for older adults
• Abrysvo, for pregnant women, to protect infants from the virus. The vaccine, given in the last weeks of pregnancy, provides maternal antibodies that travel through the placenta and is expected to prevent severe respiratory illness in infants up to 6 months.
• Beyfortus for infants and toddlers up to 24 months who are at risk for severe illness

To look at RSV community transmission rates, the CDC publishes and updates RSV Trends.

Your winning play

“Everyone should have at least the Covid and flu shots this fall and may want to consider having them at the same time,” said Dr. Jameson. “Older adults who have other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease or diabetes, or who are on home oxygen, should get all three shots – Covid, flu and RSV.”

This is the first fall and winter virus season in which vaccines are available for the three viruses responsible for most hospitalizations — COVID-19, RSV and flu. If you choose to have your vaccines at different times, however, experts believe that timing them to just before each virus peaks may make sense.

Talk to your doctor to help determine the best seasonal vaccine strategy – and timing – for your specific health situation.