New mRNA flu vaccine joins COVID-19 and RSV shots as fall vaccination season begins
Health officials warn that respiratory illness rates are rising and recommend getting updated flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines, including the newly approved mRNA flu shot, by early October.
In the United States, infection rates for seasonal respiratory illnesses remain low but are beginning to increase as fall approaches, prompting public-health officials to urge vaccination against influenza, COVID-19 and RSV. Infectious-disease physician Sabrina Assoumou of Boston Medical Center noted that colder weather drives people indoors, often in poorly ventilated spaces, raising exposure risk.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine, mFLUSIVA, on Aug. 5 for adults 50 and older. The product uses synthetic messenger RNA to instruct cells to produce a flu-virus protein, a method similar to that used in COVID-19 vaccines. Assoumou said the technology could shorten development time and allow better strain matching. Clinical data showed the vaccine was about 26.6 % more effective than standard flu shots in its target age group, though it was associated with higher rates of injection-site pain and muscle aches. Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s infectious-diseases director Paul Sax cautioned that the efficacy advantage appears modest.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC continue to recommend annual standard flu vaccines for everyone six months and older, with this year’s formulation updated for all three strains. COVID-19 rates in the state were described as “very low” as of early September, while national numbers are rising but hospitalizations remain limited. Sax advised boosters for individuals at risk of severe disease and said they are optional for healthy younger adults.
Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for various age groups, including Moderna’s Spikevax and mNexspike, Pfizer’s Comirnaty and Novavax’s Nuvaxovid, though federal guidance for the fall season is pending. RSV season typically runs from October through March; pregnant people are advised to receive Pfizer’s maternal RSV vaccine between weeks 32 and 36 of gestation, and the state recommends RSV immunization for certain infants, children, and older adults.
Pneumococcal vaccination, aimed at preventing bacterial pneumonia, is also advised for children aged two to five and adults over 50. Because vaccine protection wanes over time, experts suggest October as the optimal window for immunization. “I usually see Halloween as the cutoff point where you want to have completed all your vaccines against respiratory viruses for the season,” Assoumou said. Boston will operate free vaccine clinics starting Sept. 23.