summary
What the CDC knows
Each year, respiratory viruses cause millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. Staying up to date with recommended vaccinations can reduce your risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death. It is especially important for people at high risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses to stay up-to-date on recommended vaccinations.
What does the CDC do?
CDC plays a critical role in keeping people healthy by providing guidance on vaccines and ensuring routine vaccines are available to everyone. The CDC will continue to track vaccine effectiveness, monitor the spread of the disease and keep the public informed. During public health emergencies, CDC supports the rapid development and distribution of vaccines to control outbreaks. Their efforts are making vaccines accessible to everyone, reducing disease, saving lives, and building public confidence in immunization.
Recommended vaccinations protect people and save lives
From 2023 to 2024, the CDC predicts:
Prevention with influenza vaccination: At least 7 million influenza cases in the United States 3.7 million influenza-related medical visits 105,000 influenza-related hospitalizations 3,500 influenza-related deaths COVID-19 vaccine: Severe COVID-19 The risk of infection is reduced by about half. Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus:
Vaccinations help protect the body from viruses
Vaccinations help prepare your body to protect against viruses and their potentially serious complications by strengthening your defenses.
Most vaccinations work by exposing the body to a harmless form or part of the virus. Your body then produces proteins called antibodies to fight the virus if it encounters it again. Memory B cells remember how to produce specific antibodies and T cells that can directly attack infected cells. Other vaccinations work by directly delivering antibodies.
When your immune system is primed this way, it can respond quickly to viruses before you get sick. Vaccinated people are much less likely to die or become seriously ill than people whose immune systems are unprepared to fight infections.
Even if you have been vaccinated, you can still get infected. However, they are less likely to become infected, develop symptoms, become seriously ill, or die than people who are not vaccinated.
Side effects may occur after vaccination
The process of building immune defenses can cause some side effects. This is a normal part of the immune response, and side effects usually disappear within a few days. Side effects vary from person to person.
Common side effects include:
Pain, swelling, and redness in the arm that received the injection Fatigue, headache, and muscle pain Chills Nausea Fever
People may faint after medical procedures such as vaccinations. Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy, have changes in your vision, or have ringing in your ears. As with any medicine, vaccination is very unlikely to cause a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
Get the latest information on recommended vaccinations
influenza
The CDC warns everyone 6 months and older about influenza and its potentially serious complications, with rare exceptions such as those who have had a severe allergic reaction to the influenza vaccine in the past. To reduce your risk of influenza, we recommend that you receive the latest 2024-2025 influenza vaccine. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. Pregnant women can receive the influenza vaccine at any time during pregnancy, before influenza season, or during influenza season. If you are in the third trimester of pregnancy, you may consider getting the vaccine earlier (such as in July-August). This is because it helps protect infants during the first few months of life, when vaccinations are not possible.
COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection)
CDC recommends that all people 6 months and older, regardless of whether they have previously received a COVID-19 vaccine, to prevent potentially serious outcomes from COVID-19. We recommend that you receive the latest 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. Pregnant women can protect both themselves and their infants under 6 months, who cannot be vaccinated, from hospitalization due to COVID-19 by getting the COVID-19 vaccine. .
RSV
Some older adults can receive RSV vaccination. The CDC recommends that all people age 75 and older, as well as adults ages 60 to 74, who are at high risk for severe RSV disease, get RSV vaccine. If you have already received the RSV vaccine, you do not need to receive a new vaccine at this time.
The CDC recommends that all babies be protected against severe RSV with one of two vaccination options: vaccination during pregnancy or infant vaccination after birth. Most babies don’t need both options. RSV vaccination during pregnancy involves giving pregnant women the RSV vaccine (Pfizer’s Abrysvo) between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Maternal antibodies from this vaccine cross the placenta and protect the baby for about six months after birth.
RSV vaccination involves administering RSV antibodies (nilsevimab) to infants or some young children. Nilsevimab should be given to infants just before RSV season or within the first week of life if born just before or during RSV season. Nilsevimab is administered between October and March in most areas of the United States, although the timing of nilsevimab administration may vary in some areas. Nilsevimab is also recommended for a small group of 8- to 19-month-olds who are at high risk for severe RSV. These children should receive nirsevimab just before RSV season. This antibody protects against RSV and lasts for at least five months.
You can receive vaccines for influenza, new coronavirus infection, and RSV at the same time.
Vaccination can prevent severe RSV. Use this chart to find out your RSV vaccination eligibility, timing, and more.
There are considerations for people at high risk of severe outcomes
Some people are at higher risk of severe outcomes from respiratory virus infections and may be recommended for additional or higher doses of vaccines.
influenza
For people 65 years of age and older, it is recommended that high-dose influenza vaccines (including high-dose inactivated and recombinant) or adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccines be used rather than standard-dose unadjuvanted influenza vaccines . If none of these three vaccines are available at your vaccination opportunity, you can receive other age-appropriate influenza vaccines. Children 6 months to 8 years of age who have never received two doses of influenza vaccine or whose vaccination history is unknown require two doses during one respiratory virus season.
COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection)
Children ages 6 months to 4 years require multiple doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of the 2024-2025 vaccine. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and have not previously received a COVID-19 vaccine should receive two or three doses of the most recent COVID-19 vaccine of the same brand. You may also be able to receive additional doses.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to meet on October 23 and 24, 2024 to review scientific data and vote on vaccine recommendations. After this meeting, vaccination recommendations for specific groups may change. These meetings are open to the public and can be viewed online via live webcast. Click here for more information.
spotlight
Read here for answers to the most frequently asked questions about vaccinations this year.
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