A Guide to Fall Vaccines for People Who Are Immunocompromised and Those Who Care For Them — Public Health On Call

About this episode:

Those whose immune systems are more vulnerable due to age, illness, or another condition are at a higher risk of getting sick with and experiencing severe symptoms of seasonal illnesses like flu, COVID-19, and RSV. In this episode: Epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers provides her recommendations for vaccines this respiratory virus season for people who are immunocompromised and for those who care for them, when to get them, and how to find disease trends in your area.

Note: The RSV vaccine is not an annual vaccine, though the virus flares up seasonally in the fall and winter. According to the best available research, only one dose of the RSV vaccine can offer protection for multiple seasons.

Guest:

Caitlin Rivers, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor of Environmental Health and Engineering, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, and a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security. She is also the author of the Force of Infection newsletter.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Guide to seasonal vaccinations for people who are immunocompromised—Force of Infection
IDSA recommends respiratory vaccines for people with weakened immune systems—Infectious Disease Society of America
Respiratory Virus Activity Levels—CDC
Book Club—Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Preventing Outbreaks—Public Health On Call (January 2025)

Transcript information:

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