Fall means it's time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines - and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV.
Yes, you can get your flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time. Don't call them boosters - they're not just another dose of last year's protection. The coronavirus and influenza are escape artists that constantly mutate to evade your body's immune defenses, so both vaccines are reformulated annually to target newer strains.
"Right now is the best time" to get all the recommended fall vaccinations, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as she got her flu shot Wednesday. She has an appointment for her COVID-19 shot, too. It's "the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself, your family, your community."
While they're not perfect , vaccinations offer strong protection against a bad case of flu or COVID-19 - or dying from it.
"It may not prevent every infection but those infections are going to be less severe," said CDC's Dr. Demetre Daskalakis. "I would rather have my grandmother or my great-grandmother have a sniffle than have to go to the emergency room on Thanksgiving."
