On Sept. 14, Dr. Z gave a Facebook Live going over all the new vaccine information—and boy, is there a lot.
In case you missed it, we have summarized all her most important talking points below.
Still not sure which shots you should get and/or when? Feel free to call our office at 765-289-1011 or reach out through our Patient Portal. We’ll set you straight and do our best to keep you healthy this fall and winter.
FLU VACCINES
Flu shots are available now on a walk-in basis for all patients and their relatives or friends—just tell them to bring their photo ID and insurance card.
We’re now using the main entrance for flu shot walk-ins—don’t try to break in the back door!
Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30-3 p.m. Fridays.
If you’re 65 or older, make sure you ask for the high-dose flu shot. We also have the egg-free version available.
Last year we had an early flu season, with a peak between Thanksgiving and Christmas and a sharp drop-off in January—not the typical! But it looks like we’re heading into a similar scenario this year, according to forecasts, so plan on getting your flu shot by the end of September to mid-October at the latest.
Don’t be one of those folks who waits until Halloween or Thanksgiving this year—you want to make sure you’ve got that protection on board and ready in time for all those holiday get-togethers.
RSV VACCINES
Health-care forecasts are also calling for an earlier-than-usual peak in RSV cases this winter.
RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus, and you may have had it several times over the course of your life and not known it. Most of the time, it feels like the common cold, but it can also produce some pretty nasty bronchial symptoms, including a cough that can last six or eight weeks and, in severe cases, require hospitalization.
Two versions of a vaccine have shown the ability to decrease those severe cases, and good news: They’ve been giving people fewer side effects than the COVID-19 shot. It is going to help protect those with higher-risk medical conditions, but we need more data about how long-lasting it is, among other things.
The CDC is recommending that adults 60 and older get the vaccine. Dr. Z is recommending it to those 60 and older who also have chronic lung disease, significant asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, a compromised immune system, previous hospitalization for a lung condition and the like—all the risk factors that we were talking about for more severe COVID.
If you’re over the age of 60 and otherwise an average-risk adult, however, Dr. Z recommends a wait-and-see approach. Let the folks who are at highest risk for lung-related complications get the RSV vaccine first, then check in with your doctor about whether you need it too.
The RSV shot is expensive, $250-300 depending on which version you get. If you have Medicare Part D, you should have full coverage. Similar to our protocols with the shingles vaccine, we unfortunately are not able to give that shot to those who have IU Health or IU Health Medicare Advantage plans. Other insurance plans will vary. So you should contact your insurance provider or ask at the pharmacy to get that info prior to coming in.
We now have a limited supply of one version of the RSV vaccine in the office for patients 65 and older and on Medicare. We hope to have more available in the coming weeks.
One more thing to note about RSV vaccines: Studies indicate it is fine to get one at the same time as your flu shot. But they did not study the RSV shot in relation to the COVID-19 shot, so plan to get those separately.
COVID-19 BOOSTER
Speaking of COVID-19, you probably know someone who’s had it the last few weeks. We’ve seen quite a surge in cases but, thank goodness, this latest variant has given most folks pretty mild symptoms. Still, the FDA just last week approved the release of Moderna and Pfizer boosters, and there is another, newer booster out on the market called Novavax, which is expected to be approved soon.
So should you get one?
Dr. Z supports getting the booster for most people. The further out you get from your last COVID booster, the less protection you have—and the more your chance of being hospitalized from an infection grows. So if you are 50 or older and/or if you have a high-risk medical condition, you should really consider getting a booster. Ditto those who live in a communal environment like a nursing home.
And by the way, it really does not matter which one you get. You don’t have to stick with Moderna if your initial vaccine was from Moderna. Get whichever one is available.
For younger folks with fewer risks, Dr. Z recommends waiting a minute and timing your shot when it would mean the most—for example, before a planned vacation or holiday. Unfortunately, we just don’t know yet whether or not the vaccines decrease the risk of getting long COVID.
We now have a limited supply of Pfizer available in the office for patients 65 and older and on Medicare. We anticipate receiving the Moderna vaccine and being able to make it available to all adults by the beginning of October.
The COVID boosters do come with a slightly higher price tag; however, we are expecting most insurance companies to continue to cover them at 100%.
Maybe don’t wait to get your flu shot and COVID-19 shot at the same time, though—get that flu shot done asap, says Dr. Z.
PREVNAR 20
One more! Prevnar 20 is the pneumonia vaccine that was approved last fall. It’s an updated version of Prevnar 13. If you’re newly 65 and have never had a pneumonia vaccine or you have medical conditions that put you at risk of pneumonia, this one’s for you.
SO, TO SUMMARIZE EVEN FURTHER …
If you’re 50 or older, the vaccines you’re eligible for include:
• Flu. Give this one the priority and get it done first.
• COVID-19. Get this one next.
• RSV. Get this one at least two weeks after your flu and COVID shots.
If you’re at higher risk, try to get all three of those shots by Thanksgiving. Then … don’t forget about the shingles vaccine! But don’t give shingles the highest priority unless you have to get your second dose in. If you’ve already had the shingles shot, you have to get your second dose within a six-month time period. If you’ve never had a shingles shot, think about putting that off until December or January at the earliest. You can technically combine it with other vaccines, but it tends to kick people’s butts.
Not the best note to end on, but please—make a plan now for a healthy fall and winter, and let us know how we can help.