Daily Herald opinion: Time to get a flu shot, COVID-19 booster and possibly an RSV vaccine

Dr. Jonathan Pinsky called fall 2022 "a tsunami for viruses."

"We had COVID, but then we also had the busiest influenza season that we've seen in a decade and the busiest RSV season that we've seen in many years," Pinsky, the medical director of infection control and prevention at Edward Hospital in Naperville, told reporter Katlyn Smith.

Flu season approaches once more, RSV cases have already appeared in a few states and COVID-19 remains an ongoing threat.

For the first time, however, there are available vaccines targeting all three. And now is the time to get the shots we need and ward off a repeat "tsunami."

We start by making a doctor's appointment or popping over to a pharmacy for flu and COVID-19 shots, followed by gathering info on whether we should be adding an RSV vaccine as well.

Let's start with the flu: The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccination each year. Experts advise doing so by the end of the month since the shot takes two weeks to be fully effective.

And here's why that shot is so important: The Centers for Disease Control estimates 360,000 people were hospitalized with flu over the last season - and 97% of those patients were unvaccinated. Add to that the season's death toll at about 21,000 people.

As for COVID-19, the CDC recommends newly reformulated shots for everyone 6 months and older. Remember, immunity from past infections and vaccines wanes over time, and the virus evolves. Getting an updated shot will help provide protection during the upcoming holiday season.

Then, there's RSV. For many adults, respiratory syncytial virus comes on like a cold. But it fills pediatric hospital beds each year as RSV is much riskier for babies, young children and older adults.

How you prepare for RSV depends on your age, health risks and the advice of your doctor.

Adults 60 and older have two new vaccines to help protect themselves against RSV. Federal recommendations also call for women who are 32 to 36 weeks pregnant during RSV season to receive a dose of the vaccine. And there are options for babies as well.

Patients should consult with their doctors first.

While vaccination for any or all of these viruses might not eliminate the need to stock up on tea bags and tissue for the months ahead, getting the appropriate shots at the appropriate times minimizes risk - and saves lives.