Vaccines for flu and RSV now available ahead of fall virus season

5 AT 530. FEDERAL HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE TAKING STEPS NOW TO TRY TO AVOID ANOTHER TRIPLE DEMICK. MANY AMERICANS WILL BE URGED TO GET THREE SHOTS THIS FALL. REMEMBER HOW SICK EVERYBODY WAS LAST FALL? WE’LL HERE TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND WHAT IT MEANS IS DOCTOR DANIEL CORICA. HE’S THE CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. DR. KURTZ IS GREAT TO SEE YOU. GREAT TO SEE YOU, BEN AND ERICA. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT THIS TRIPLE DEMICK FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS OR SO, BUT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT COVID, THE FLU AND RSV. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS FALL, THERE’S A VACCINE OUT THERE FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE, RIGHT? SO WHO WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT AND WHO SHOULD GET THEM? WELL, IT’S REALLY TERRIFIC THAT WE HAVE VACCINES FOR ALL THREE OF THESE RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES. BUT WHO GETS WHICH VACCINE I THINK IS GOING TO DEPEND A LOT ON WHAT YOUR AGES AND WHAT OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE AND WHAT THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE COVID BOOSTERS. SO EVERYBODY SHOULD GET A FLU SHOT. THAT’S THAT WAS TRUE BEFORE COVID. IT REMAINS TRUE. EVERYBODY OVER SIX MONTHS OF AGE SHOULD GET A FLU SHOT WITH A NEW RSV VACCINE. PEOPLE, ADULTS OVER AGE 60 SHOULD GET THE VACCINE AT LEAST THIS SEASON, WHETHER THEY’RE GOING TO NEED BOOSTERS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, WE DON’T KNOW YET, BUT THEY SHOULD CERTAINLY GET THE RSV VACCINE AS IT COMES OUT. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE EVENTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AROUND THE NEWER COVID BOOSTER IS. WE KNOW THAT IMMUNITY WANES AND EVEN WITH THE CURRENT BIVALENT BOOSTER IMMUNITY HAS BEEN DECREASING OVER TIME. BUT IT MAY BE THAT THE BOOSTER IS GOING TO BE MORE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE THAN FOR OTHER PEOPLE. AND I DON’T THINK EVERYBODY IS GOING TO END UP GETTING A COVID BOOSTER. INTERESTING. OKAY. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT BUNDLING, BECAUSE I GUESS THERE’S BEEN SOME DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER THAT’S A GOOD IDEA, BUNDLING ALL 3 IN 1 DOCTOR’S VISIT. SO IN TERMS OF WHETHER THAT’S A GOOD STRATEGY, DO WE KNOW HOW SAFE OR EFFECTIVE THAT WOULD BE? I DON’T THINK THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT EFFICACY IN, YOU KNOW, THE VACCINES WILL GENERATE THE DESIRED IMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU GET THEM INDIVIDUALLY OR AS A BUNDLE. AND THERE’S NO REAL SAFETY CONCERN. IT’S A MATTER OF WHAT THE SIDE EFFECTS IN TERMS OF HOW SORE YOUR ARMS ARE AND HOW LIKELY YOU ARE TO RUN A LOW GRADE FEVER AND TO FEEL KIND OF CRUMMY FOR A DAY OR TWO. SO I THINK THERE’S NO REASON NOT TO GET THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. IT’S CERTAINLY MUCH MORE CONVENIENT. SOME PEOPLE MAY OPT TO SEPARATE THEM FOR FOR THOSE REASONS. LET’S GO BACK TO WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT AN UPCOMING COVID VACCINE RECOMMENDATION. WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT WE DON’T KNOW, FRANKLY. I WANT TO GO BACK. YOU JUST MENTIONED THIS. I THINK IT’S THE LAST TWO FALLS. I WENT AND GOT MY FLU VACCINE IN ONE ARM AND MY COVID VACCINE AND THE OTHER. BUT NOW YOU’RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS, THE COVID MIGHT NOT BE CIRCULATING AS MUCH. AND YOU DON’T WE DON’T YET KNOW WHO’S GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED TO GO GET A COVID VACCINE. THIS FALLS THAT FAIR? I THINK THAT’S FAIR. I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT COVID RATES ARE WAY, WAY DOWN. CERTAINLY, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE COVID BOOSTERS HAVE OFFERED ADDITIONAL PROTECTION, BUT THAT PROTECTION DIMINISHED OVER TIME. AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE MISMATCH WITH THE CIRCULATING VARIANTS, ASSUMING THAT THE FDA AND THE CDC HAVE GOT IT RIGHT AND GOING AFTER THE VARIANTS. NOW, I THINK IT’S LIKELY THAT OLDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS WILL BE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO GET AN ADDITIONAL BOOSTER. BUT YOUNGER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHERWISE IN GOOD HEALTH MAY NOT REALLY NEED THAT BOOSTER. WE’LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE DATA SHOW. INTERESTING. OKAY, DR. CRITICAS, THANKS AS ALWAYS, FOR JOINING US

With the fall respiratory virus season just around the corner, major U.S. pharmacy chains have begun rolling out flu and RSV vaccine appointments.Related video above: Doctor discusses 'tripledemic' threat, fall vaccine pushWalgreens is now offering both kinds of shots, the company said Tuesday. Anyone 3 or older can get a flu shot, and adults 60 and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine.Rite Aid also plans to announce the availability of those vaccines soon, spokesperson Catherine Carter says.CVS is now scheduling flu vaccinations, as well as allowing walk-in vaccinations at certain pharmacies, spokesperson Amy Thibault said. The chain is also preparing to offer the new RSV shots.Walmart, Publix and Kroger have not responded to requests for comment about their vaccine plans.Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens say they will also offer the new COVID-19 vaccines once they’re available. But before anyone can get those shots, the FDA will have to authorize or approve them, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to recommend them.In June, the FDA recommended that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers make single-strain booster shots for this fall and winter that would target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. They will be the first COVID-19 vaccines made available directly from the manufacturers as part of the commercial market, rather than through the U.S. government.Last month, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra advised the CEOs of Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax that they should plan for the fall’s vaccine supply and regulatory submissions in enough time for the FDA to act. Becerra also recommended that the CDC make recommendations on the vaccinations “by the latter part of September.”Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on an earnings call Tuesday that his company expects the FDA to give its updated COVID-19 booster the green light by the end of August, with vaccinations beginning in September.Who should get vaccinated this fall?The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the world’s first RSV vaccines, from GSK and Pfizer, this year.The shots will offer protection for a demographic that is particularly vulnerable to the virus, experts say.Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is enthusiastic about the new vaccines.“I would certainly suggest that everyone age 60 years and older , particularly those individuals who have chronic underlying illnesses�� such as diabetes, heart disease or lung disease, he said, adding that the risk of complications from RSV only goes up with age.RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a highly contagious virus that causes flu-like illness in people of all ages. Although RSV is often associated with babies and young children, it can also be dangerous for seniors.In the U.S., as many as 160,000 older adults are hospitalized with RSV each year, and thousands die as a result of their infection. The RSV hospitalization rate among seniors in the most recent season was higher than it’s been for at least six years, according to data from the CDC. There were also high levels of flu, and the virus that causes COVID-19 is still in circulation.“What most folks don’t realize is that RSV often �� year in and year out �� causes as much respiratory illness influenza,�� Schaffner said.There are no FDA-approved RSV vaccines for people under 60 years old. Last month, the agency approved an antibody to prevent the virus in infants up to 24 months of age. The drug now awaits a recommendation from the CDC.Schaffner recommends that everyone 6 months or older get their flu vaccine, especially older adults, those with chronic health conditions and pregnant people.When should you get vaccinated?Adults 60 and older should get their RSV vaccines as soon as possible, Schaffner says, because protection will probably “extend throughout this season.”People looking to get their flu and COVID-19 shots should do so around October, he says. Both shots can be given on the same day, usually one in each arm.Those who want all three vaccines should get their RSV vaccine well before or after their flu and COVID-19 shots, Schaffner says.“Give it about two weeks before or after you receive the other vaccines,�� he said, adding that not much is known about how the new RSV vaccines interact with those against flu and COVID-19.As with most inoculations, Schaffner says, people getting the new RSV vaccine may have some soreness in their arm, but that should not deter people from getting their shot.The biggest challenge health providers face will be motivating older Americans to get three shots this fall, he said.“We’re going to have to organize ourselves and be very persuasive to get older persons into their clinics, doctors, senior citizens centers, pharmacies, in order to get all of their vaccines,�� Schaffner said. “We’ll be learning how to do that this year.��

With the fall respiratory virus season just around the corner, major U.S. pharmacy chains have begun rolling out flu and RSV vaccine appointments.

Related video above: Doctor discusses 'tripledemic' threat, fall vaccine push

Walgreens is now offering both kinds of shots, the company said Tuesday. Anyone 3 or older can get a flu shot, and adults 60 and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine.

Rite Aid also plans to announce the availability of those vaccines soon, spokesperson Catherine Carter says.

CVS is now scheduling flu vaccinations, as well as allowing walk-in vaccinations at certain pharmacies, spokesperson Amy Thibault said. The chain is also preparing to offer the new RSV shots.

Walmart, Publix and Kroger have not responded to requests for comment about their vaccine plans.

Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens say they will also offer the new COVID-19 vaccines once they’re available. But before anyone can get those shots, the FDA will have to authorize or approve them, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to recommend them.

In June, the FDA recommended that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers make single-strain booster shots for this fall and winter that would target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. They will be the first COVID-19 vaccines made available directly from the manufacturers as part of the commercial market, rather than through the U.S. government.

Last month, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra advised the CEOs of Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax that they should plan for the fall’s vaccine supply and regulatory submissions in enough time for the FDA to act. Becerra also recommended that the CDC make recommendations on the vaccinations “by the latter part of September.��

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on an earnings call Tuesday that his company expects the FDA to give its updated COVID-19 booster the green light by the end of August, with vaccinations beginning in September.

Who should get vaccinated this fall?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the world’s first RSV vaccines, from GSK and Pfizer, this year.

The shots will offer protection for a demographic that is particularly vulnerable to the virus, experts say.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is enthusiastic about the new vaccines.

“I would certainly suggest that everyone age 60 years and older [get the vaccine], particularly those individuals who have chronic underlying illnesses�� such as diabetes, heart disease or lung disease, he said, adding that the risk of complications from RSV only goes up with age.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a highly contagious virus that causes flu-like illness in people of all ages. Although RSV is often associated with babies and young children, it can also be dangerous for seniors.

In the U.S., as many as 160,000 older adults are hospitalized with RSV each year, and thousands die as a result of their infection. The RSV hospitalization rate among seniors in the most recent season was higher than it’s been for at least six years, according to from the CDC. There were also high levels of flu, and the virus that causes COVID-19 is still in circulation.

“What most folks don’t realize is that RSV often �� year in and year out �� causes as much respiratory illness [as] influenza,�� Schaffner said.

There are no FDA-approved RSV vaccines for people under 60 years old. Last month, the agency an antibody to prevent the virus in infants up to 24 months of age. The drug now awaits a recommendation from the CDC.

Schaffner recommends that everyone 6 months or older get their flu vaccine, especially older adults, those with chronic health conditions and pregnant people.

When should you get vaccinated?

Adults 60 and older should get their RSV vaccines as soon as possible, Schaffner says, because protection will probably “extend throughout this [RSV] season.��

People looking to get their flu and COVID-19 shots should do so around October, he says. Both shots can be given on the same day, usually one in each arm.

Those who want all three vaccines should get their RSV vaccine well before or after their flu and COVID-19 shots, Schaffner says.

“Give it about two weeks before or after you receive the other vaccines,�� he said, adding that not much is known about how the new RSV vaccines interact with those against flu and COVID-19.

As with most inoculations, Schaffner says, people getting the new RSV vaccine may have some soreness in their arm, but that should not deter people from getting their shot.

The biggest challenge health providers face will be motivating older Americans to get three shots this fall, he said.

“We’re going to have to organize ourselves and be very persuasive to get older persons into their clinics, doctors, senior citizens centers, pharmacies, in order to get all of their vaccines,�� Schaffner said. “We’ll be learning how to do that this year.��

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