Fall vaccine offerings feature a new kind of flu shot

Fall vaccine offerings feature a new kind of flu shot

Peak flu season is right around the corner, and a new vaccine based on the mRNA technology used in some COVID-19 shots is part of the slate of vaccine offerings.

"Now's the time to think about getting vaccinations," said Dana L. Cobb, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner at Cape Cod Healthcare's North Falmouth Primary Care, noting that flu and cold season started in October and vaccines take a few weeks to become effective.

The new flu vaccine has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people 50 and older. Made by Moderna, the shot is called mRNA-1010, or mFlusiva. It was approved in early August after Moderna's application was first rejected in February, according to an August 6 article in AJMC. The new shot was judged to be 26.6 percent more effective than standard flu vaccines.

Unlike in past years, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not issued specific guidance for respiratory virus vaccinations. In the absence of federal guidance, several medical groups offered their joint recommendations to the public. The groups include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The Vaccine Integrity Project and the American Medical Association also did an independent review of flu, COVID and RSV vaccine effectiveness and safety.

Flu Vaccine Recommendations

The above medical groups recommend nearly everyone older than 6 months get an annual flu shot. People older than 65 are urged to get the new mRNA shot or vaccine that is extra strength. Pregnant women and immunocompromised people should avoid the nasal spray flu vaccine.

Cobb said she recommends the new mRNA shot for people 50 to 64, but because it may generate a stronger immune reaction, she recommends people 65 and older go for a high-dose version of a standard flu vaccine instead.

"There's going to be more side effects" with the mRNA flu shot, and that may be tougher for older people to tolerate, she said. "In clinical trials the symptoms and side effects were more severe."

However, there are several advantages to the new vaccine, she said. In addition to being more effective, the mRNA shot can be formulated in a matter of weeks, rather than several months for standard flu vaccines. This means it's more likely to be a better match for flu strains circulating now. Flu vaccines in past years have ranged from being 20-50 percent effective depending upon how closely - or not - they aligned with dominant strains during flu season, she said.

Another plus of the mRNA shot is it's manufactured without using eggs, so people severely allergic to eggs can take it, she said.

More information about this vaccine is available online from the National Council on Aging.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Everyone six months and older should get an annual COVID shot, according to the joint medical associations' recommendations. People 65 and older should get an annual shot followed by another one six months later to boost immunity.

Older people are at more risk of serious illness or complications, Cobb noted.

"My dad got COVID and ended up in ICU. It took him months to recover," she said.

She said she still consistently sees cases, some of which have caused heart attacks and strokes, she added.

RSV Vaccines

Age and whether you're pregnant matters for RSV vaccination, which is generally a one-time shot - not an annual recommendation. The joint recommendations urge all infants younger than 8 months be vaccinated, if their mothers weren't vaccinated during their first eligible pregnancy. Mothers should get the shot between 32 and 36 weeks of their pregnancy, during the period from September 1 to March 1.

All people 75 and older should get the shot, said Cobb. Children from 2 to 18 years and people 50-74 who are at higher risk may also qualify. Risk factors include having a compromised immune system, severe obesity, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, neuromuscular diseases, chronic heart, liver or lung disease or living in a nursing home, according to the CDC.

General Advice

Cape Cod Healthcare offers both the traditional flu vaccine as well as the senior (high dose) vaccine. The mFLUSIVA mRNA flu vaccine from Moderna is available in limited quantities at Cape Cod Healthcare Pharmacy at Cape Cod Hospital, Cape Cod Healthcare Pharmacy at Falmouth Hospital and at participating community clinics. COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are also available at CCHC pharmacies and at community clinics.

The flu, COVID-10 and RSV vaccines do not prevent infection, but do lower the chance of severe illness, Cobb said.

The CDC estimates that between 2010 and 2025, annual deaths in the nation from flu, or influenza, ranged from 6,300 to 52,000, and annual hospitalizations ranged from 120,000 to 710,000. The CDC says in 2024, the year after the COVID-19 pandemic ended, all deaths reported to involve COVID amounted to 47,541, and dropped to 20,681 in 2025. According to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, annually results in 58,000 hospitalizations of children younger than 5 and kills about 14,000 adults older than 65.

While it's safe to get the flu and COVID vaccines at the same time, Cobb recommends spacing them two weeks apart to reduce side effects of fever, aches, sore throat and general malaise.