What to know about vaccines for COVID-19, RSV and the flu: VERIFY Fact Sheet

As summer ends and autumn begins, the change in season brings with it the return of the school year and cool weather, as well as the start of flu and cold season. 

People are already going to Google to search for answers to their questions about vaccinating against common fall and winter illnesses. We’re sharing the VERIFIED answers to five common questions about COVID-19, influenza and RSV vaccines

THE SOURCES

WHAT WE FOUND

Is the new COVID-19 vaccine available?

No, as of Aug. 24, 2023, the latest COVID-19 booster vaccine is not yet available. However, it’s expected to be available as soon as September.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in June that updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting the XBB-lineage of the omicron variant would be available beginning in fall of 2023. Subvariants in the XBB lineage account for more than 95% of the virus spread in the United States, the FDA said.

Pfizer and Moderna have both submitted applications for their updated vaccines to the FDA. The updated Pfizer vaccine could be available to patients in September, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an investor call. 

The current bivalent vaccines — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for anybody over the age of 6 — have been available to people 12 years old or older since September 2022 and to children between 5 and 11 years old since October 2022.

Should all adults get the new RSV vaccine?

No, there isn’t an RSV vaccine available to all adults. There are currently RSV vaccines approved for adults 60 and older and for pregnant people.

RSV is a seasonal illness, typically spreading the most during the fall and winter, that causes mild, cold-like symptoms, Yale Medicine says. However, it can cause life-threatening complications in vulnerable people, including adults 65 and older and young children.

Currently, the CDC recommends adults 60 years and older receive a single dose of RSV vaccine, “based on discussions between the patient and health care provider.” The CDC says the RSV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Is there an RSV vaccine for children?

There isn’t currently an RSV vaccine that can be given directly to children, but the new RSV vaccine for pregnant people is designed to prevent RSV in infants, the FDA says.

The vaccine is approved for use at 32 through 36 weeks gestational age of pregnancy. That’s at the very end of a typical pregnancy.

In clinical trials, the vaccine reduced an infant’s risk of severe illness caused by RSV by 81.8% within 90 days after birth and by 69.4% within 180 days after birth, the FDA says.

Yale Medicine says the vaccine works by developing the parent’s antibodies against RSV, which are then passed on to the developing fetus. These antibodies would continue to provide protection to the baby after delivery.

Is there a new flu vaccine?

Yes, there is a new flu vaccine for the 2023-2024 flu season. The CDC says one of the four strains of influenza it protects against has been updated from last year’s flu vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the types of influenza viruses research suggests will be more prevalent in any particular flu season, the CDC says.

The better a flu vaccine “matches” the flu viruses spreading in a community, the more effective the flu vaccine will be, according to the CDC. That’s why the flu vaccine is updated each year.

Is the new flu vaccine available now?

Yes, the newest flu vaccine is available now, the CDC says. However, the CDC recommends that most people get vaccinated for the flu in September or October.

July or August vaccinations are not recommended for most adults, the CDC says. Flu vaccination in July or August can be considered for children and pregnant people in the third trimester.

Flu vaccinations should remain available throughout influenza season.