Keeping Your Parents Safe This Respiratory Virus Season

School is in full swing, the leaves are turning, and the Halloween candy has hit the shelves. But as the weather cools down, the risk of getting sick is rising – and not just for our kids with the exposure that comes from school. What might be a run-of-the-mill respiratory illness for you and your kids could be severe for your aging parents.

Here’s the good news: Vaccines are available for COVID-19¹, RSV², and flu³, and can help keep your loved ones safe, healthy, and able to enjoy time with family during the upcoming holidays:

COVID-19 Vaccine: The most significant risk factor for poor COVID outcomes remains age.⁴ Adults ages 65 and older account for two-thirds of COVID hospitalizations and more than 81 percent of in-hospital deaths.⁵

The CDC recommends everyone ages six months and older receive at least one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which helps to protect against the current variants of the virus.⁶ ⁷

Only about 40 percent of Americans over the age of 65 received a COVID vaccine last year.⁸ Hospitals saw the impact: over 95 percent of adults hospitalized in the last year due to COVID-19 had no record of receiving the latest vaccine.⁹

For those who had COVID-19 this past summer, the CDC recommends waiting three months after symptoms or a positive test before getting your updated vaccine.¹⁰ That means that people who had COVID in July are now eligible for a vaccine.

RSV Vaccine: RSV is a common and highly contagious seasonal virus that is a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections and can be dangerous for older adults.¹¹ ¹² If your parent falls into one of the following categories, they should get vaccinated for RSV:¹³

Ages 75 or older

Between the ages of 60-74 and at an increased risk of severe RSV, including:

Chronic heart or lung disease

Weakened immune system

Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity

Those living in nursing homes

Every year, RSV is responsible for anywhere between 100,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations in older adults and causes complications including conditions such as pneumonia, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).¹⁴ ¹⁵

If your parent received an RSV vaccination in the past, should not receive another one this year.¹⁶

Influenza Vaccine: Adults over 65 years old are at a higher risk for severe illness from the flu.¹⁷ The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, receive an updated flu vaccine.¹⁸ Some of the common complications from influenza include bronchitis and pneumonia, however, infections could cause extrapulmonary cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal problems.¹⁹

The vaccine is updated each year to target new variants, and this year’s vaccine will cover three virus strains expected to circulate through the fall.²⁰

If your loved one lives in a long-term care facility, their risk of infection is higher. Ensuring they receive respiratory illness vaccines this fall helps protect seniors and keeps facilities open for visitors.

We all want our loved ones to stay healthy, gather for holidays, and celebrate life's joys. Vaccination safeguards these moments. For additional frequently asked questions or to find a vaccination location near you, visit: https://foryouandthem.com/.

¹https://www.cdc.gov/covid/about/index.html

²https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/rsv/rsv-in-adults#:~:text=RSV%20is%20the%20most%20common,10%2C000%20die%20from%20RSV%20infection

³https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4335-influenza-flu

⁴https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7101a4.htm

⁵https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html

⁶https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html#:~:text=Updated%202024%2D2025%20Flu%20Vaccine,complications%20this%20fall%20and%20winter

⁷https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html#:~:text=Updated%202024%2D2025%20Flu%20Vaccine,complications%20this%20fall%20and%20winter

⁸https://www.cdc.gov/covidvaxview/weekly-dashboard/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/coverage/covidvaxview/interactive/vaccination-dashboard.html

⁹https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/background.html#:~:text=Over%2095%25%20of%20adults%20hospitalized,by%2060%25%20in%20recent%20studies.

¹⁰https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html?s_cid=SEM.GA:PAI:RG_AO_GA_TM_A18_C-CVD-Parents-Brd:how%20young%20for%20covid%20vaccine:SEM00014&utm_id=SEM.GA:PAI:RG_AO_GA_TM_A18_C-CVD-Parents-Brd:how%20young%20for%20covid%20vaccine:SEM00014&gad_source=1

¹¹https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/rsv/rsv-in-adults#:~:text=RSV%20is%20the%20most%20common,10%2C000%20die%20from%20RSV%20infection

¹²https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging

¹³https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/older-adults.html

¹⁴Ibid

¹⁵https://health.clevelandclinic.org/rsv-is-surging

¹⁶https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/older-adults.html

¹⁷https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4335-influenza-flu

¹⁸https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html#:~:text=Updated%202024%2D2025%20Flu%20Vaccine,complications%20this%20fall%20and%20winter

¹⁹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596516/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20influenza%20in%20residents,to%20unexposed%20residents%2C%20despite%20high

²⁰https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html#:~:text=Updated%202024%2D2025%20Flu%20Vaccine,complications%20this%20fall%20and%20winter