For people whose fall schedule includes vaccinations for respiratory illnesses — covid, flu and, for some, RSV — this year can be surprisingly routine.
After several confusing months this summer, in which federal officials announced and then withdrew changes to covid vaccine recommendations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 6 announced updated fall vaccination schedules that aren’t all that different from last year’s schedules. That should clear the way for most people to get vaccinated this fall, public health experts say.
“From a patient’s experience, there shouldn’t be anything different than what they’ve experienced in the past, except maybe they’ll get a little more information from the pharmacist,” said Hannah Fish, senior director of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Here’s what you need to know:
Covid vaccine
This fall, the covid vaccine is recommended for anyone aged 6 months or older, with one caveat. People must first have a conversation with their provider, a model called “shared clinical decision-making.” Providers may be doctors, pharmacists, or health care professionals who administer the injections. For people under 65, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has emphasized that vaccination is generally more beneficial for those who are at higher risk of severe covid.
Although the shots are recommended for the same age range as last year, there are a few possible wrinkles. Even though the CDC’s approval is broad and means health plans must cover the vaccine without charging consumers, some providers may be hesitant to administer the vaccine to people under 65 unless they have an underlying condition that puts them at risk for severe covid if they become infected. This is what the Food and Drug Administration label advises for the covid vaccine.
“It’s a nuance that could arise in an interaction between a provider and a patient,” said Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of global and public health policy at KFF, a nonprofit health news organization that includes KFF Health News.
However, if one provider refused to give the vaccine to a healthy person because it would be “off-label,” another provider would likely be willing to give the vaccine to someone, experts said.
“They could go to another pharmacy,” Kates said.
Many states have stepped in to ensure people can get vaccinated if they want, according to a KFF analysis. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have adopted recommendations that are broader than those of the federal government, Kates said.
However, the percentage of people choosing to get the covid vaccine continues to decline. At the end of April, 23% of adults reported having received the current vaccine, according to the CDC.
With adoption so low, fewer pharmacies and doctors may choose to stock the vaccine this year, said Jeff Levin-Scherz, a primary care physician, head of population health for management consulting firm WTW and an assistant professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.
Major chains, including CVS and Walgreens, say they have enough supply to meet demand.
The additional hurdles people may have to jump through – such as having to find another pharmacy or doctor – could, however, impact covid vaccine uptake.
“The key to getting more people to get vaccinated is to make vaccination really easy and take action,” Levin-Scherz said.
Flu vaccine
More people are seeking the flu vaccine than the covid vaccine, but even so, only 47% of adults were vaccinated last flu season.
The CDC recommends that virtually everyone age 6 months or older get a flu vaccine every year. This year is no different. The shots should be widely available at pharmacies and doctors’ offices, and health plans will cover the shots without charging for them.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services announced in July that flu vaccines must not contain thimerosal, a preservative that prevents bacterial growth in vaccines. There is no evidence that the mercury additive, used for decades, is harmful, vaccine researchers say. Last year, the CDC estimated that only 6% of flu vaccines use thimerosal as a preservative.
RSV vaccine
This vaccine protects against respiratory syncytial virus, a highly contagious seasonal virus that infects the lungs and airways. Although symptoms are usually mild, RSV can cause serious lung infections, especially in older people.
A vaccine was approved in 2023. The CDC recommends it for anyone 75 or older and people 50 to 74 who have health conditions that put them at risk for serious illness.
People who meet the criteria should be able to get the RSV vaccine at their local pharmacy, Fish said.
The RSV vaccine is not an annual vaccine. If you have already received it, you do not need to collect it, according to current guidelines.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of KFF’s primary operating programs, an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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