Everyone age six months and older should get a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine. People who get flu, COVID-19, or Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) after getting a vaccine are much less likely than those who are not vaccinated to need to see a doctor or be hospitalized.

It’s not too late to get this season’s vaccines:

• People can get more than one respiratory virus vaccine in the same appointment.
• High-dose flu vaccines that cause a stronger immune reaction are available as extra protection for adults age 65 and older.
• Adults age 65 and older and people with certain conditions that compromise their immune systems should get an additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine six months after their initial dose to strengthen and extend protection against severe illness.

If older adults in your community have flu or COVID-19, the following information is important to share:

• If you have flu or COVID-19, treatment may be an option to make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time you are sick. Treatment needs to be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.
• Talk with your doctor about how antiviral treatment can help reduce your chance of being hospitalized or dying from respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and flu.
• There is no treatment for RSV, but you can manage symptoms with over-the-counter medications.
• Seek emergency care if you are having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids, or are experiencing worsening symptoms.
• If you have respiratory virus symptoms, stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick).
• These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
• When you go back to your normal activities, take extra precautions over the next five days.
• These precautions include taking additional steps for better indoor ventilation, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.

If you help care for someone age 60 or older, make sure they know about their risk for getting very sick with flu, COVID-19, and RSV, and that vaccines can help protect them. Learn more about Risk Less. Do More. communications resources you can access as part of the LeadingAge partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services.