Just sore arms today, too, as expected.
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I signed up for vaccinations on Monday at Walgreen’s, because it’s the closest location I can find. I’m doing all three - COVID, flu, RSV. Unless RSV is too expensive.
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I signed up (along with my H) for COVID and flu for next Tuesday–took me a few minutes to find a CVS where I could get both. I decided to wait on RSV and just do two right now.
I saw my doctor on Tuesday and she said to get the flu and Covid at the same time and wait a week before getting the RSV.
Remember that recommendations for an immunization schedule from a medical provider may be based on what’s best for a particular patient and their health care situation/needs.
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you can certainly get the flu and covid vaccines at the same time, but there is no medical reason to do so. It’s just a matter of convenience.
btw: the common recommendation is to wait two weeks after flu/covid before getting the RSV.
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Yes. Today, from the Harvard Gazette*:
Dr. Ross says adults over 60 considering RSV vaccination should be aware of the potential for two rare but potentially serious side effects of the nervous system: the autoimmune conditions Guillain-Barre syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM. Guillain-Barre can lead to bodywide paralysis, while ADEM can cause weakness and seizures. The risk of these side effects after RSV vaccination in adults is about one in 7,000 — far higher than occurs after flu vaccination, Dr. Ross notes.
”If you’re a totally healthy 60-year-old, I’m not sure it makes sense to get the RSV vaccine," he says. “It’s a conversation you should have with your doctor.”
We’re going to talk to our PCP about RSV at our annual appointment in December.
*Here’s a link to the whole article which discusses COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines.
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There was an article in today’s paper about the slow rollout of the new booster.
The chief of infectious diseases and global public health at UC San Diego says:
“For people living in the San Diego area, my current recommendation is to get the RSV vaccine first if you’re eligible, then the COVID-19 booster and then the flu.” The new COVID-19 booster, he added, should be given at least three months after a person’s last booster shot. For those who have had a coronavirus infection in the past one to three months, natural immunity is probably still strong, making it OK to wait.
I guess I should hold off on RSV, then! It’s just a personal thing with me since my middle son was so very ill with it when he was nine weeks old. But I know that’s because he was an infant.
In general, I think doctors in So Cal advise to do the flu later as flu doesn’t hit us as early as it hits the east coast.
I’m surprised by the recommendation to get RSV first. What is the prevalence/risk of getting COVID vs RSV? For my parents, my thought was to do COVID in Sept, flu in Oct and RSV in Nov.
Yes. The safety signals for the RSV vaccine side-effects above have stuck in the back of my mind since I first read about them. Even though I’m over 65, I think (but of course don’t know) my immune system is still pretty robust in regards to RSV. I am not around a lot of people, and especially not around kids.
I’m most interested in the covid19 vaccine (trying to wait for Novavax), and then after that the flu vaccine. I am monitoring the wastewater surveillance graphs for covid19 and flu in my area. There has been no uptick in flu detected in wastewater. I used to always get the flu vaccine on Election Day (my kids were out of school that day, so we all went and got our flu vaccines then).
Since I’m still covid-cautious, that is limiting my exposure to flu and RSV, also.
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Nope!
Question about timing of flu vaccine: we’re going on a Panama canal cruise for 17 days starting 10/23. I will turn 65 on this cruise so if I wait until after I get back, I’ll be eligible for the high dose flu shot. I know cruises are vectors for disease, especially Covid and noravirus, but I haven’t heard much specifically about flu. (This is an adults only cruise on a 900 pax ship.) Should I get the regular flu shot now, or wait until after and get the high dose in mid November? (I got the Spikevax 2 days ago.)
Why not explain that to your Dr and get the over 65 shot?
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N of 1…if it were me I would get the flu shot now. Perhaps they would let you get the high dose now, but if not, I would still get the regular flu shot before the cruise. Even though flu cases are light now, they might not be at end of October.
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I got the RSV shot before the new Covid shot was available. I figured I’d just get it over with since it’s supposed to be a one and done shot. I got the Covid shot as soon as I could so I’d have a full two weeks before travelling to England. Maybe I should have gotten the flu shot as well, but I decided to wait till we get back from our travels. I’ve only gotten the flu twice in my life.
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I would ask your doctor about the senior flu vaccine. If they can’t, I would have the flu vaccine now and another at the end of January.
I might like the two vaccines spread over the season instead of one large one now.
The senior flu vaccine is 4 times the regular adult vaccine.
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I know that the flu season is not here yet, but with traveling to Europe for the second half of October I didn’t want to wait until we returned to get the flu shot. This is my first international trip since Covid (H has been on several international business trips) and I really don’t want to get sick.
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Check out Flublok Quadrivalent. I got that before I was age 65. It is between regular flu vaccine and the senior flu vaccine – I think it has 3x the active ingredient instead of the 4x the senior flu vaccine has.
I wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t gotten a mailer about it, so decided to request it that year and other years (until I turned 65).
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FluBlok is also a non-egg-based vaccine, so those who have egg allergies that prevent getting most flu vaccines may find that of interest.
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