Welcome Fall!
The season of colorful leaves, crisp mornings, and earlier sunsets has arrived.
Unfortunately, it is also the season of sniffles, sore throats, and other symptoms.
We really don’t want it to be the season of serious illness and overloaded hospitals.
Respiratory viruses tend to spread in fall and winter. Usually, catching one means feeling crummy for a while and recovering at home with rest, fluids, and maybe some over-the-counter medicine.
But even common respiratory illnesses can turn severe. While anyone can become seriously ill, there is higher risk for infants and young children, older adults, and people with underlying health complications. We have lost lives to flu, COVID, and RSV in Snohomish County over the years.
There are now protective immunizations available for all three of these illnesses. Flu and COVID vaccines are recommended for everyone, while RSV vaccines are recommended for higher risk groups. Immunization lowers the chances of becoming ill and, if you do get ill, reduces the severity. It can be the difference between recovering at home and ending up in the emergency department.
By protecting yourself, you also help protect others by not spreading illness.
Keeping track of which vaccines you need this Fall can be overwhelming, especially with new and updated immunizations available. Here’s a summary to keep in mind.
Your Fall 2023 immunizations cheat sheet
1. Annual flu shot
This one is probably the easiest to remember because recommendations haven’t changed much.
- Who: Everyone ages 6 months and older, including pregnant and nursing people.
- What: Your best protection against flu. Keep in mind that it takes about two weeks for the flu vaccine to be fully effective after you get your shot.
- When: Try to get your shot sooner rather than later. Get it done by October, if possible. If you can’t fit it in by then, the vaccine still is available later in the fall and winter.
- Tip: You can get your flu and updated COVID shot at the same time to save a trip! If your provider does not yet have the updated COVID vaccine in stock, it’s best to still get your flu shot and come back as soon as you’re able for the COVID update.
- Where: Your local clinic or pharmacy. Check out www.vaccines.gov or call the Help Me Grow Washington hotline at 1-800-322-2588 (language assistance available) to find a flu vaccine location near you.
- Why: This yearly immunization protects you and those around you during the peak season for influenza.
- How much: Most insurance plans, including Apple Health (Medicaid, Medicare) cover flu shots. There may be a co-pay or office visit fee, depending on your insurance plan. Children under 19 years old can receive the vaccine at no cost to them (regardless of insurance status) through the Vaccines for Children Program, but there may be an administration or visit fee that your provider can choose to waive if someone is unable to pay. Private insurance and Medicaid reimburse clinics for the fee. For those who are uninsured and over the age of 18, some local clinics offer no-cost, reduced cost, or “sliding scale” fee options for families with lower incomes. You can reach out to your local clinic to ask or call the Help Me Grow Washington hotline at 1-800-322-2588 for help finding locations.
- More info:
2. Updated COVID-19 vaccine
An updated COVID vaccine is recommended by CDC as of earlier this month. Your updated COVID vaccine is a new shot for the 2023-24 illness season that better targets some highly transmissible variants (namely the Omicron XBB family).
- Who: Everyone ages 6 months and older should get at least one dose of the updated COVID vaccine. Children ages 6 months to 4 years need multiple doses of COVID vaccine to be considered up to date. People who are immunocompromised may also get more than one dose. If you’re a caregiver for a young child or if you’re moderately or severely immunocompromised, double check with your doctor on number of doses.
- What: The best protection against severe illness, hospitalization, or death due to COVID-19. The 2023-24 vaccine has been updated to protect against highly transmissible variants of the virus.
- When: At least two months after your last COVID vaccine. Keep in mind that the new vaccine only recently became available and not all providers have received shipments yet, so please be patient. Some locations are scheduling appointments, but it may take a little while to get in.
- Where: Your local clinic or pharmacy. Check out www.vaccines.gov, text your ZIP Code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.
- Why: COVID activity is picking up. This vaccine helps protect you and those around you, and keeps our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
- How much: Most insurance plans, including Apple Health (Medicaid, Medicare) will cover COVID vaccines. There may be a co-pay or office visit fee, depending on your insurance plan. Children under 19 years old can receive the vaccine at no cost to them (regardless of insurance status) through the Vaccines for Children Program, but there may be an administration or visit fee that your provider can choose to waive if someone is unable to pay. Private insurance and Medicaid reimburse clinics for the fee. For those who are uninsured and over the age of 18, some local clinics offer no-cost, reduced cost, or “sliding scale” fee options for families with lower incomes. You can also go to www.vaccines.gov, search by your ZIP Code, and then select “Bridge Access Program” to find providers who offer free COVID vaccines for adults without insurance through this federal program. Please note that the Bridge program is for people who are uninsured and is not for those with Apple Health (Medicare/Medicaid).
- More info:
3. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) protection
This immunization option is newly available for some ages. It’s important to ask about RSV immunization if you are the parent or caregiver of an infant or if you are an adult who is 60 years or older. Immunization options are expected to be coming soon for pregnant individuals, as well.
- Who: Infants up to 8 months, young children up to 20 months who are at high risk for severe disease, and adults ages 60 and older.
- What: Babies can receive monoclonal antibodies – these are lab-made proteins that provide a similar type of protection as a vaccine by getting the body ready to defend against the virus. Adults ages 60 and older are eligible for an RSV vaccine based on their doctor’s recommendation.
- When: Talk to your doctor sooner rather than later if you think you (or your baby) are eligible for RSV immunization. RSV season tends to pick up in the fall and winter.
- Where: We recommend talking with your regular healthcare provider or local clinic to see if they offer RSV immunization.
- Why: While RSV is a mild illness for most, it can be devastating for infants and older adults. It causes tens of thousands of deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. each year. Immunization protects those at highest risk.
- How much: CDC has said the monoclonal antibodies for infants and young children will be part of the Vaccines for Children program, which means they will be available at no cost for uninsured or underinsured children. However, the process of incorporating those into the Vaccines for Children Program still is underway as of this blog. Many insurance plans cover these immunizations to some degree for infants and for older adults, but there may be differing charges for office visits or associated fees. If you aren’t sure, it’s a good idea to call your insurance provider and check coverage.
- More info:
While you’re here:
- If you do not have insurance, you can find information on insurance options at www.wahealthplanfinder.org
- More immunization resources can be found at www.snohd.org/immunizations, including no-cost/low-cost provider information in multiple languages.
- Looking for providers who participate in the Vaccines for Children Program? Washington State Department of Health has an interactive map.