SPONSORED CONTENT -- (StatePoint) In a time of confusion and inconsistent information, healthcare professionals want you to know that it’s not too late to get vaccinated this respiratory season. Getting vaccinated helps protect against potentially serious diseases like influenza (flu), COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal disease.
A recent survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) finds that many Americans harbor concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness, or find the guidance on respiratory vaccinations unclear. To address misconceptions around vaccines and promote a healthy winter for you, your family, and communities nationwide, NFID is sharing these insights:
Vaccination helps prevent severe disease. Vaccination is not just about preventing infection. Most importantly, it’s the most effective way to protect yourself and others against severe disease-related outcomes, including hospitalization, long-term complications, and death due to flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal disease. This means that even when vaccination does not prevent infection completely, it can make an illness milder.
Vaccines are safe and effective. All recommended vaccines undergo extensive safety testing before approval and continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness long after they are recommended for use. In the United States and globally, vaccines are held to the highest safety standards – more stringent than those for almost all other medications. Contrary to a widespread misconception, vaccines cannot cause the diseases they are designed to prevent. While there are potential side effects, they are rare, and much less severe than the diseases vaccines prevent. The most common side effects – sore arm at the injection site, achiness and fever – are normal signs that the body’s immune system is building protection.
Getting vaccinated helps protect everyone. By preventing severe respiratory illnesses, getting vaccinated reduces your likelihood of missing work or your child missing school. It reduces strain on the healthcare system and helps protect everyone, especially infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with heart disease, lung disease, or other chronic health conditions.
Recommendations are science-based. It’s important to follow science-based immunization recommendations. They are based on rigorous review and ongoing research. National medical organizations composed of practicing healthcare professionals recommend these respiratory vaccines based on long-standing evidence and clinical experience:
• Annual flu vaccination is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older.
• An updated COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for those at high risk (including young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions), and anyone age 6 months and older who wants to reduce their risk for severe COVID-19 or long COVID.
• A one-time RSV vaccination is recommended for pregnant women; infants whose mothers did not get vaccinated for RSV during pregnancy should receive a monoclonal antibody to protect against RSV. RSV vaccination is also recommended for certain adults ages 50-74 and all adults 75 and older.
• Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for children younger than 5, all adults 50 and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions or other risk factors.
Access may vary. Evolving federal recommendations directly impact the availability and coverage of vaccines. Some states and insurance companies are developing their own coverage rules for vaccines previously recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you run into barriers, talk with a trusted healthcare professional who can help you navigate local restrictions.
Healthcare professionals are here to help. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional to learn about the benefits and risks of vaccination against flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal disease. These conversations can help you make informed decisions about your health and the health of your family and community.
More information about the 2025-2026 respiratory season can be found at https://www.nfid.org.
“It’s not too late to get vaccinated this respiratory season. If you have questions about which vaccines are right for you, reach out to your doctor, pharmacist, nurse or other healthcare professional,” says Robert H. Hopkins, MD, NFID medical director. “I am confident enough in these vaccines that I have been vaccinated, as have all my family members. I encourage others to be immunized so they have the same protection I give to my family and to my patients.”
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