Vaccines before the holidays? It's not too late, pharmacist says
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Holiday meals and gatherings with friends and family are unfortunately great opportunities to spread cough, colds and other misery. With Thanksgiving just days away, is it too late to get a COVID or flu vaccine?
Cathy Wurzer talked to Ann Philbrick, a doctor of pharmacy and professor in the University of Minnesota’s College of Pharmacy.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button above.
MDH reports low COVID and flu levels right now. Do we normally see a spike after the holidays?
Yes, absolutely, this is about the time. It has to do with being a little bit colder. People are going inside and they are hunkering down with other people. And when you're in close quarters, that is when flu, COVID and the like can spread. So yes, about this time of the year, closer to the December holidays, is when we see that first kind of spike in COVID, flu and RSV.
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Is it too late to get a flu shot or COVID vaccine ahead of Thanksgiving?
Absolutely not. It takes about 1-2 weeks to develop immunity from a vaccine. And so, like you said, it's 10 sleeps before Thanksgiving, so you're right within that time frame in order to get one of those vaccines and be protected for Thanksgiving — and to protect your loved ones.
Is it better to space the shots out than get both at once?
The science right now does not indicate that you need to separate them. If you are indicated for both of the vaccines, then you can get them at the same time. That's what I did towards the beginning of October: I got them both, one in each arm. Sore for a couple of days, but after that, I was just fine.
Is there a new formulation for COVID vaccines?
Yes, similar to how the flu vaccine changes every year, the COVID vaccine now changes every year as well. So there was an updated formulation that was recommended this past summer, which was adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. And so, yes, there is a new formulation of the COVID vaccine this year. So if you got last year's, then that's out of date, and you need the new one.
If someone has already gotten an RSV vaccine, do they need another one?
No. So the RSV vaccine so far is a one and done vaccine. So it's a one time vaccine that you do not need to repeat on any regular basis, at least at this time. It is a relatively new vaccine, though.
Who should get the vaccines?
The RSV vaccine is indicated for persons age 50 and above with particular risk factors, and then those age 75 and above without any risk factors. For flu and COVID, if you want the vaccine, go ahead and get the vaccine.
