What vaccines doctors say you may need for respiratory virus season

ABC News Radio15 hours ago

55 4 minutes read

A doctor wipes a staff member’s arm with disinfectant. (Photo by Katharina Kausche/picture alliance via Getty Images)

As the weather turns colder, it also means respiratory virus season is upon the United States.

In its annual outlook report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it expects the 2026-27 respiratory virus season to have a similar number of peak hospitalizations from influenza, COVID-19 and RSV compared to last season.

Public health specialists told ABC News the best way for people to protect themselves against these viruses is to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccine

The CDC currently recommends that people aged 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three viruses predicted to circulate during flu season: Type A (H1N1) virus, Type A(H3N2) virus, and Type B/Victoria virus

There are several flu vaccines available this season, with recommendations varying by age and medical history.

“Obviously, we target high-risk groups, so those would be older adults, so over the age of 50, people with chronic medical conditions, individuals who are immunocompromised, individuals that have obesity, or persons who are pregnant or wanting to get pregnant, and healthcare personnel,” Dr. Michael Angarone, director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told ABC News. “But I recommend every patient that I see should get vaccinated for influenza.”

Standard-dose inactivated flu vaccines grown either in eggs or cell culture are available for anybody as young as 6 months old.

High-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines, both of which are egg-based, are available for those aged 65 and older due to their higher risk of severe illness.

Anyone aged 9 and older can receive a recombinant flu vaccine, which is produced without eggs. For those between ages 2 and 49, who don’t have certain medical conditions and aren’t pregnant, a nasal spray flu vaccine is also available.

Additionally, in August, the Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine to protect those aged 50 and older.

One dose is recommended for children between 6 months and 8 years old who have received two doses in past seasons and everyone aged 9 and older.

Some children under age 9 may require two doses based on prior vaccine history.

Public health specialists told ABC News they recommend that people receive flu vaccines by the end of October, but that people should get the vaccine even if later in the fall or winter as long as influenza viruses are circulating and unexpired vaccine is available.

Dr. Majd Alsoubani, infectious disease physician at Tufts Medical Center, said that one thing she often hears from patients is that every time they receive the vaccine, they get the flu — which she says is a combination of misinformation and misunderstanding.

“All the injectable influenza vaccines, they don’t have the live virus, it only contains parts of the virus, so it doesn’t cause influenza,” she told ABC News. “We know that the vaccine needs a couple of weeks just to create protection, so if they were exposed to influenza before the vaccine or right after, they actually might get the flu because the vaccine didn’t have time to provide that protection.”

COVID-19 vaccine

People aged 18 and older are recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as are children ages 6 months to 17 years old at increased risk

Parents of all other children should speak to their pediatrician to discuss getting the vaccine.

The updated 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccines target the XFG strain, a recombinant Omicron variant, meaning it formed through the combination of two Omicron subvariants.

Moderna’s mRNA vaccine is approved for those 6 months through 64 years old with an underlying condition and for all adults aged 65 and older. Another Moderna mRNA vaccine that is a lower dosage is available for those ages 12 and older

Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine is approved for those 5 years through 64 years old with an underlying condition and for all adults over age 65.

According to the CDC, underlying conditions placing people at risk for higher risk for severe COVID-19 include but are not limited to cancer, asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart conditions, mental health conditions and pregnancy.

Also available is a vaccine from Novavax, which is a protein-based vaccine, for those aged 12 and older.

Angarone said people can safely get the flu and COVID vaccine during the same visit if they are eligible.

“I recommend to my patients just get it at the same time, or if you don’t want to get both at the same time, get [the COVID vaccine] a week apart from the flu vaccine,” he said. “So, kind of around this time, October timeframe.”

RSV vaccine

“The immunization recommendation kind of follows the people who are at risk of severe disease,” Alsoubani said. “So the RSV vaccine currently is only one dose, so you’re one and done. It’s not an annual vaccine.”

The CDC recommends RSV vaccines for all adults aged 75 and older and adults between ages 50 and 74 at increased risk for severe RSV.

It is also recommended for all pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks’ gestation.

For infants under 8 months who are in their first RSV season and whose mother did not receive a maternal RSV vaccine, two monoclonal antibody shots are available.

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins manufactured in a lab that mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection.

A small group of young children between ages 8-19 months at increased risk for severe RSV may also be eligible.