Flu already reported in Lexington. Here’s 4 shots Kentuckians should consider this fall

Aaron Mudd
·5 min read

Cases of COVID-19 have been on the rise in Kentucky over the last few weeks, and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced the area’s first lab-confirmed influenza cases of the season Tuesday.

Between your annual flu shot and the new monovalent COVID-19 vaccine booster — along with a shot for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a shingles vaccine for seniors — it can be tough to keep up with all the recommendations and know who in your family needs which one.

Here’s what to know about each vaccine, which ones are necessary and for whom and how you find them in your area.

What to know about the new COVID-19 vaccine

Topping the list is the new COVID-19 vaccine booster, which is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. But is this new shot really necessary? Your view on that will largely be shaped by what you’re expecting to get out of the booster.

According to public health experts, there is evidence the shot can reduce cases of mild COVID-19, in some cases prevent it altogether and lower the risk for long-term complications, commonly called long COVID.

However, all of those are just side benefits. The main purpose of the vaccine is to prevent severe COVID-19, hospital stays and death, which the data clearly show boosters can help with, according to academic journal Science.

Still, that protection doesn’t last forever, which is why this new booster is needed to protect against the most dominant COVID-19 variants circulating right now. To that end, Pfizer and BioNTech, along with Moderna and Novavax, have all released statements saying their new formulations trigger protections against the latest COVID-19 variants.

You can find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you at vaccines.gov, and check out the range of providers offering the shot in Lexington.

What about the annual flu shot and its side effects?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common side effects of the flu shot can include:

  • Soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site

  • Headache

  • Fever

  • Nausea

  • Muscle aches

It’s worth remembering these side effects are temporary and indicate the shot is triggering an immune response, meaning your body is working to build protection against the flu. The shot does not make you sick with the flu.

While allergic reactions can occur, extreme reactions are rare and any reaction would likely happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccine is given, according to the CDC.

The federal agency recommends everyone 6 months and older get their flu shot before the end of October when activity begins to peak, though it can still benefit you if you get it after that point. It is safe to receive the vaccine with your COVID-19 booster, and you may opt to get them together to save yourself a trip to the pharmacy or clinic.

While not 100% effective at preventing the flu, your annual shot is a good bet for mitigating the more severe effects if you do wind up catching the flu. Not to mention, you’re helping protect those who are especially vulnerable, including older adults and young children.

If you need more motivation, the flu is already spreading in Lexington, according to the local health department.

The agency announced Tuesday Lexington has its first two lab-confirmed flu cases of the 2023-24 season. During the last flu season, Fayette County more than 3,400 flu cases and 80% were in people who were not vaccinated against it.

The health department is holding a free flu shot clinic for anyone aged 6 months and older at Central Baptist Church, 110 Wilson Downing Road, between 3 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12. Pre-registration for this event is required.

You can also find a flu shot near you at vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Who should get the RSV and shingles vaccines?

Adults 60 years and older should talk with their health care provider about getting vaccinated for RSV this year.

According to the CDC, one dose of the RSV vaccine grants protection against the disease for at least two winter seasons, which is when the virus circulates. Older adults are more vulnerable to RSV and its complications, which can trigger other infections including pneumonia.

Each year, an estimated 60,000 to 160,000 older U.S. adults are hospitalized due to RSV, per the CDC. Between 6,000 to 10,000 die due to the infection.

Along with older adults, other at risk for severe RSV include:

  • Adults with chronic heart or lung disease

  • Adults with weakened immune systems

  • Adults living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities

The RSV vaccine is available at all major retail pharmacies in the U.S.

The CDC also recommends adults 50 years old or older get Shingrix. Even if you’ve already had shingles, you should get the vaccine because you can get shingles more than once, according to the CDC.

Shingrix is the new shingles vaccine that offers more than 90% protection against the disease and neuralgia, its most common complication.

You may have already gotten a different shingles vaccine called Zostavax, which is no longer used in the U.S. If you did, you still need two doses of Shingrix, with the second administered dose two to six months after the first.

Do you have a question about health care in Lexington for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.