CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of RSV vaccines approved for older adults. There are three vaccines.
The pools are closing, the kids are back in school and everything pumpkin-flavored is stocked on grocery store shelves.
All the makings of fall are officially upon us, including respiratory viruses.
But this fall and winter season will not be like years past. Since the pandemic, health officials have approved new vaccines to help Americans combat severe symptoms from COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and influenza.
Experts urge eligible people to get their recommended vaccines and plan for the respiratory virus season by stocking up on at-home test kits and over-the-counter medications and making action plans with their providers for what to do when they get sick.
“We have vaccines, testing and treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press conference in August. “The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant (and) to use these tools.”
Here’s what to know about shots now available for adults and who is eligible to get them.
Recent information from experts on vaccines for children is available here.
COVID vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax
Millions of updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available at health care facilities across the U.S. following the Food and Drug Administration approval last week. Major retail pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, are taking appointments and welcoming walk-ins.
The shots, from Pfizer and Moderna, are designed to target the KP.2 variant using messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.
In June, the CDC recommended these vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.
Health officials say the new vaccines should protect against the variants circulating in the U.S. As of Wednesday, the subvariant KP.3.1.1 made up nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the country, and the KP.3 made up over 16%, according to CDC data.
Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for use in individuals 12 and older and will target JN.1, the "parent strain" of circulating variants like KP.2.3, KP.3, KP.3.1.1 and LB.1.
JN.1 was the dominant strain in the United States earlier this year. While it is no longer as prevalent, it is estimated to account for 0.2% of cases over a two-week period that ended Aug. 31, CDC data showed.
Novavax's traditional protein-based shot offers an alternative vaccine technology to those that are based on mRNA.
Improving this season's rollout
Experts hope this year’s rollout will be smoother than last year's, which was the first time the COVID-19 vaccine was managed by commercial supply chains instead of the federal government. Problems arising with wholesalers and distributors, pharmacies and insurance companies delayed the shots getting into arms until long after the vaccine had been approved.
“There were a lot of kinks last year to work out for the first time,” said Dr. Kisha Davis, chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland, and board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “A lot of that stuff has been worked out this year.”
Experts also worry about how uninsured and underinsured Americans will be able to afford COVID-19 vaccines without the Bridge Access program. The $1.1 billion program has provided 1.5 million free shots since its launch in September of last year. That funding ended Aug. 31.
To help cover the loss, the CDC plans to distribute $62 million in “unused vaccine contract money” to local and state health departments to provide updated vaccines for uninsured or underinsured people.
But it’s not enough, said Chrissie Juliano, executive director of Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents local health departments nationwide. There’s also little information about how much money is going where, and how local and state health departments are allowed to spend it.
“What we’re really lacking is that finance for inventory,” said Crystal La Tour Rambaud, who oversees the immunization program for the Pima County Health Department in Arizona. “If this money goes directly to inventory, that would certainly be a relief."
Is there a vaccine for RSV?
For the second year, health care providers are also offering certain adults vaccines to protect them against RSV.
RSV is a respiratory virus that infects nearly everyone by the time they're 2. It causes cold symptoms, affecting the breathing passages and lungs, according to the CDC.
While it’s the leading cause of hospitalizations among newborns and younger children, it also strikes later in life, causing more than 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths among older adults each year.
There are three vaccines approved for older adults this season: Arexvy from GSK, Abrysvo from Pfizer and mRESVIA from Moderna. The Moderna vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine not for COVID-19 approved in the U.S. All the vaccines are recommended for all adults 75 and older and adults 60 to 74 with an increased risk of severe disease.
Pfizer's Abrysvo is also recommended for pregnant people to protect newborns from lower respiratory infections. The shot is approved for use during the 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy during the RSV season, which typically starts in September and runs through January in the U.S.
“That gives them enough time to build antibody responses through the vaccine and cross through the placenta to give the infant protection when they’re born,” Dr. Sterling Ransone, board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, previously told USA TODAY.
RSV vaccines aren't needed every year. Federal regulators recommend a single dose of RSV vaccine, so If you were vaccinated last year, you won't need another dose this year. Officials have said they will reevaluate if additional doses are needed.
Flu shot: When is best to get it?
Amid all the new vaccines on the market, experts hope Americans don't forget their annual flu vaccine.
An advisory committee at the CDC recommended routine seasonal flu shots for people 6 months and older. This shot is tailored to target the three influenza A strains that were dominant last winter.
The big picture for adults is to plan and prevent, experts say.
“Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccines,” said Cohen of the CDC. “Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.”
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
