Respiratory Viruses (COVID-19, Flu, and RSV) Vaccine Recommendations

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Page last updated 11/15/2024.

COVID-19

Everyone 6 months and older should get the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.

• This includes people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine before and people who have had COVID-19.
• Getting the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine is especially important if you:
  • Never received a COVID-19 vaccine,
  • Are 65 years or older,
  • Are at high-risk for getting very sick from COVID-19,
  • Living in a long-term care facility,
  • Are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future, and/or
  • Want to lower your risk of getting Long COVID.

When Are You Up-to-Date?

• Children 6 months – 4 years: Received all recommended doses, including at least 1 dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
• If child:
  • Has never been vaccinated: Get 2 doses of the 2025-2025 Moderna vaccine, or 3 doses for the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
  • Previously vaccinated with 1 or more doses of Moderna vaccine: Get 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Moderna vaccine.
  • Previously vaccinated with 1 dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: Get 2 dose of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
  • Previously vaccinated with 2 or more doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: Get 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

• Children 5-11 years: Received 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. 
  
  
• People 12 years and older: Received 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Or, received 1 dose of the 2024-2025 Novavax vaccine unless receiving COVID-19 vaccine for the first time. If you have never received a COVID-19 vaccine and choose to get Novavax, get 2 doses of the 2025-2025 Novavax COVID-19.
    
  • If you are 65 and older, it is recommended to get 1 dose of any 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Novavax) and 1 more dose after 6 months.

• People 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised:
  • If never been vaccinated: Get multi-dose initial series with an age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine, and 1 more dose after 6 months.
  • Previously vaccinated: Get 1 dose of any 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Novavax) and 1 more dose after 6 months.
  • May receive additional doses based on personal preference and circumstances and after talking with your doctor.

• People who recently had COVID-19: May delay getting a COVID-19 vaccine for 3 months. 

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.

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Influenza (Flu)

Everyone 6 months of age and older, with rare exceptions, should get a flu vaccine every season.

• Getting the flu vaccine is especially important if you are at high risk for getting very sick from the flu.

Different flu vaccines are approved for different age groups. 

• Flu shots are approved for use in people as young as 6 months and older.
  • Higher-dose flu vaccines, or adjuvanted flu vaccines, are recommended for people 65 and older.
  • Flu shots are also recommended for pregnant people and people with certain chronic health conditions.
• The nasal spray flu vaccine is approved for use in people 2-49 years. 
  • Pregnant people and people with certain medical conditions should NOT get the nasal spray flu vaccine.

Learn more about who needs a flu vaccine.

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RSV

Vaccines are available to protect older adults from getting very sick from RSV. Vaccines for pregnant people, or monoclonal antibody products, are available to protect infants and young children from getting very sick from RSV.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends either maternal RSV vaccination or infant immunization with monoclonal antibodies. Most infants will not need both.

• Infants and Young Children
  
  • 1 dose of nirsevimab for all infants younger than 8 months of age who were born shortly before, or are entering, their first RSV season (typically fall through spring).
  • 1 dose of nirsevimab for infants and children 8-19 months old who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease and entering their second RSV season.
  • A different monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, is limited to children under 24 months of age with certain conditions that place them at high risk for severe RSV disease. It must be given once a month during RSV season.  
• Pregnant People
  • 1 dose of maternal RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnant, administered September through January.
  • RSV vaccine is not recommended for pregnant people who received it during a prior pregnancy.
• Adults Aged 60 Years and Older
  • 1 dose of the RSV vaccine for everyone ages 75 and older and adults ages 60-74 at increased risk from getting very sick from RSV.
  • RSV vaccine is not currently an annual vaccine, meaning older adults do not need to get a dose every RSV season.
    • That means if you have already gotten an RSV vaccine, you do not need to get another one at this time.

Learn more about RSV Immunizations. 

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Call the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499, or send an e-mail, for more information.