ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A new poll about adults and their vaccine plans is worrying infectious disease doctors.
Fall means football, sweatshirts, and trips to the cider mill. But doctors would like to add another item to that list: fall vaccines.
Experts say the fall months are the best time to get new, updated vaccines against flu and Covid-19. Pregnant women and older adults can also get vaccinated against RSV.
But in a new University of Michigan poll, just under half of adults over age 50 said they are likely to get the updated Covid vaccine this fall.
Dr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease physician at University of Michigan Health, led the poll.
“The 45% number is a bit concerning, since this is the age group, 50 and above, that’s more likely to have complications related to COVID, whether it’s hospitalization, severe illness, or even death,” Malani said. “So, for people who are still questioning whether they’re going to get vaccinated, or they have concerns or other questions, my strong recommendation is to talk to a trusted healthcare provider.”
Nearly 60% of the oldest adults -- those over age 75, who are most at risk for severe Covid -- said they were likely to get the updated shot. Both the Covid and flu vaccines are recommended by the CDC for everyone 6 months and above.
“Sometimes younger people think, ‘I don’t really need that because I’m not at high risk of complications or hospitalization or death,’” Malani said. “And while that’s true, a younger person might get sick and miss school or miss work. And not only do these vaccines protect you, but they protect those around you, and that’s also a really important consideration.”
Malani said there is no need to wait to get vaccinated.
“Some people ask about what the best timing is to get these shots, and the truth is, it’s just make it convenient for yourself,” Malani said. “It’s not too early to get them. Some of my friends and colleagues like to wait a little longer for the flu shot. The recommendations are to try and get that shot by the end of October. Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t get some benefit if you get it after that, but you want the antibody levels to be high when you see the peak in cases, which tends to be a little bit later in the season, but this is a good time to get the vaccine.”
Malani stressed that both the flu and Covid vaccines are about risk reduction.
“With both of these vaccines, it’s not that they prevent all illness,” Malani said. “They prevent severe illness. They prevent hospitalizations and death. So it’s important to get them to protect yourself against these severe complications, but also to protect those around you.”
Another vaccine to think about is the RSV vaccine. It’s recommended for adults over 75 and those ages 60 to 74 who have underlying health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, asthma, obesity, or live in a nursing home.
“So, the RSV vaccine became available to older adults in 2023, and this is an important vaccine that can protect against a particular kind of pneumonia that can be quite severe, especially in older adults,” Malani said. “This is one that’s given once and then it’s done. It’s not a yearly vaccine. It’s been a little confusing to people, and some people haven’t even heard of it. So this is one to ask your doctor about.”