3 Vaccines You Might Need Right Now

RSV is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild coldlike symptoms but can be severe and even deadly for older adults and infants.

Data indicates that about 8 to 10 percent of all hospitalizations for acute respiratory illnesses are due to RSV in older people, according to Angela Branche, MD, an infectious disease physician and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester in New York. Now, for the first time, there are two RSV vaccines available for people 60 and older (under the names Arexvy and Abrysvo).

“This is a really good year to get vaccinated,” Branche says. “Many people are several years from their last infection and maybe even their last vaccine.” People 65 and older should look for one of the three vaccines recommended for them: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, Fluad Quadrivalent, and Flublok Quadrivalent. (If you can’t find them, get the regular flu shot.)

Who should get one: Unless you have certain rare allergies, a flu shot is recommended for all adults every year.

Effectiveness: During the last flu season, the flu vaccine was about 54 percent effective; in 2021 to 2022, it was about 36 percent effective. Data show that in general, the vaccines recommended for people ages 65 and up are more potent than the regular flu shot. “In these older populations, they work about 20 percent better than the standard vaccine,” Schaffner says.

Timing: If you haven’t already had the shot, get one as soon as you can. It can take about two weeks to reach full effectiveness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been updated to be a better match for the main circulating strains of the virus.

Who should get one: While a dose of the updated vaccine is recommended for anyone 6 months and older, “the greatest benefit is for people at increased risk for severe COVID-19 with respect to hospitalizations and deaths,” says Jeffrey Duchin, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Washington. That means adults 65 and older, and people with underlying medical conditions or weak immune systems.

Effectiveness: Data from past boosters suggests protection against serious COVID-19 may initially be as high as 70, 80, or 90 percent, Schaffner says. “A lot depends on how vigorous your immune system is.” But that protection does wane over the months following vaccination.

Timing: Wait at least two months after your last COVID-19 booster and, if you’ve had a case of COVID-19 recently, at least three months after you tested positive or symptoms started.