Vaccines

The new RSV vaccine is generally covered by private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, with some conditions. Insurance coverage for the RSV vaccine differs by age. The RSV vaccine is recommended for: infants younger than 8 months during the RSV season whose mothers did not receive the vaccine during pregnancy infants Read more…

A lot more Americans are dying of COVID than the flu. It’s not too late to get your updated vaccine. Winter respiratory illness season is coming on strong. In case you haven’t noticed, there is A LOT of COVID around. I was getting serious Omicron wave vibes the last few weeks as more and more Read more…

Side effects for both RSV vaccinations include the usual injection site pain, feeling tired and achy, and headache. The are nearly always so mild that they do not interfere with usual activities. Side effects for both RSV vaccinations (Arexvy and Abrysvo) are nearly always so mild they do not interfere with usual activities. Rates of Read more…

The most common side effects are the same as earlier versions of the vaccine–rash and soreness at the injection site, headache, fever, and fatigue. Symptoms are typically mild and last 1-3 days. The most common side effects of the updated COVID-19 vaccine are rash and soreness at the injection site, headache, fever, and fatigue. Symptoms Read more…

Everyone ages 50+ and 19+ with a weakened immune system is eligible for the Shingrix vaccine, including people who previously received the one-dose shingles vaccine, Zostavax. Shingrix is a two-dose vaccine that reduces the risk of shingles by more than 90%. Who should get Shingrix? People ages 50+ should get two doses of Shingrix. People ages 19 Read more…

Possible safety signals were very, very rare in the RSV vaccine trials, and no surprises have emerged with roughly 12 million Americans having received them so far. There are two new vaccines available to prevent RSV and serious outcomes from RSV, both available in the US for adults aged 60 and up. Both were FDA-approved Read more…

No, in the U.S., COVID-19 vaccines are still free for everyone. They are either covered by your health insurance or by a government program if you are uninsured. With the end of the government’s official pandemic emergency response last Spring, the U.S. government no longer directly purchases COVID-19 vaccines to provide free to the public.  Read more…

4 in 5 people get a sore arm, and 1 in 6 people has a reaction severe enough to send them to bed–like headache, fatigue, muscle pain, or fever. Side effects usually last 1-3 days. One of the reasons people put off getting the shingles vaccine is that they’ve heard the side effects are nasty. Read more…

Both new RSV vaccines are highly effective (over 80%) at preventing RSV disease. As we’ve recently covered, RSV can be a nasty illness for older adults, landing hundreds of thousands in the hospital each year and causing around ten thousand deaths annually in the US. The good news is that there are two new RSV vaccines approved Read more…

Most people just need one dose of the 2023 updated COVID-19 shot. The specific recommendations for various ages, previous vaccine status, and brands are in the tables in this post! Back in September 2023, the CDC recommended that everyone aged 6 months and older get the latest COVID-19 vaccine. People aged 5+ years just need one Read more…

Three reasons: 1. Influenza viruses mutate over time, 2. the virus strains circulating can vary year to year, and 3. our immunity wanes over time. That’s why the flu vaccine formula needs to be updated yearly, and we need to get a flu shot each season to be well-protected. Influenza viruses have proteins on their surface: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Read more…

People who are at least 65 years old can get a flu shot specially developed for their age group, and it offers better protection from the flu. Influenza vaccines have been around for nearly 80 years, and have undergone a number of changes during that long history. One of the more recent changes is the emergence Read more…

A: Yes. The flu shot covers FOUR strains – you don’t want to catch it again! TL;DR: It’s hard to know which flu strain you got or which one will be dominant in the next few months. Go ahead and get that shot even if you had confirmed or suspected influenza. The current flu vaccine Read more…

In general, you can count on 6 months of meaningful protection starting two weeks after you get your annual flu vaccine. Protection may wane earlier in older adults. Getting vaccinated in advance of flu season’s start ensures that you have good coverage when the season begins, and in most adults, your protection will stick around Read more…

Everyone can benefit from a boost in COVID protection before the winter respiratory virus season. Here are just a few reasons why you should roll up your sleeve for the updated COVID shot. COVID isn’t gone. We are in a MUCH better place than we were for the past three winters, thanks to accumulated immunity Read more…