Influenza and COVID vaccine recommendations
Updated flu and COVID vaccines that are formulated to match circulating strains this year will be available to children and adults this fall and winter.
Everyone 6 months and older is encouraged to get at least one shot for each respiratory viral disease, according to guidelines.
Some children may need two or more doses of a COVID vaccine if they are getting vaccinated against the virus for the first time, are immunocompromised or have another underlying condition that puts them at high risk for serious complications, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
People 65 and older may also get two doses of the COVID vaccine, as well as an enhanced high-dose influenza vaccine recommended for older adults.
While most children and adults can manage symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue and body aches at home, others can become severely ill and need hospitalization and support in an intensive care unit.
“Children who are suffering from sickle cell disease or who have asthma, allergies, other chronic conditions, gastrointestinal issues, cardiac issues, taking anything that suppresses the immune system, are more at risk,” said Richards-Rowley, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Pennsylvania chapter.
Family medicine physician Dr. Andrew Lutzkanin, who practices in Middletown, Pennsylvania, said he likes to remind people that getting vaccinated themselves could benefit others around them who are vulnerable to serious complications.
“A lot of people write off the flu every year as something simple or mild, or ‘I’m a healthy young person, I really don’t need the immunization for this because I’m not at risk,’” he said. “But when you get a vaccine, you help to protect those others.”
The best time to get a flu shot is in September and October, Richards-Rowley said, which gives people time to develop antibodies before they’re potentially exposed. But she added that people should get immunized as soon as possible.
“If you’re an adult, you’re walking through CVS and you see the sign, go get it,” she said. “Because life can sometimes life, and you forget to do it and it’s November or December and all of a sudden, you have a fever of 104 [degrees] and you’re like, ‘Oh man, I forgot to get my flu shot.’”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve updated COVID vaccines until late August, so the roll out of those shots may be slightly delayed, Richards-Rowley said.
“But when it is available in your local pharmacy or when it becomes available in your pediatrician’s office, you can get it,” she said. “You can just call and see if it’s available yet.”