Updated

Updated · Hartford Courant · Oct 2

Connecticut Doctors Urge Flu Shots as New mRNA Vaccine Opens to Adults 50 and Older

Updated

Updated · Hartford Courant · Oct 2

Connecticut Doctors Urge Flu Shots as New mRNA Vaccine Opens to Adults 50 and Older

Q: Are you timing your fall vaccinations correctly, or could an early shot leave you defenseless by March?

For most people, an early-fall flu shot will not leave you “defenseless” by March, but timing does matter. The best window is usually September or October, with many doctors and CDC guidance favoring vaccination by the end of October. In Connecticut, Dr. Ulysses Wu has suggested aiming around Nov. 1 so protection is more likely to last through a season that often peaks from late January into March. The concern is waning immunity. Protection from flu vaccination gradually declines over several months, and that drop can matter most for older adults, whose immune response tends to fade faster. That is why CDC guidance says July and August shots are generally too early for most people unless there is a risk they will miss vaccination later. A shot in September or October is the safer balance: early enough to be protected when cases rise, but not so early that immunity is markedly weaker by late winter. Even if flu season starts earlier, the vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effect, so waiting until deep into winter is not ideal either. If you miss the fall window, though, it is still worth getting vaccinated in November, December or even later, because flu viruses can circulate into spring. Children ages 6 months through 8 years who need two doses should start earlier so both doses can be completed on time. Adults 65 and older should ask about high-dose, adjuvanted or recombinant options, which CDC preferentially recommends when available.

Q: With winter surges looming, why might your traditional seasonal shot fall short of ultimate protection?

A seasonal flu shot can fall short of “ultimate” protection because it is designed to blunt the worst outcomes, not guarantee you will never get infected. The biggest reason is strain match. Flu vaccines are chosen months before winter based on forecasts of which viruses will circulate. But influenza viruses keep mutating, especially H3N2, so the real-world strains can drift away from the vaccine. That is why effectiveness varies year to year and by strain, often landing well below 100% even in a decent season. Protection also fades over time. Evidence cited by CDC and other experts shows immunity builds about two weeks after vaccination but can wane after several months, particularly in older adults. That is why officials suggest timing the shot for fall so coverage lasts through the usual late-winter peak. Your own immune response matters, too. Age, immune status, prior exposure to flu viruses, and the type of vaccine you get all affect how much protection you gain. Older adults and immunocompromised people often respond less strongly, which is why CDC preferentially recommends high-dose, recombinant, or adjuvanted vaccines for people 65 and older when available. Even so, health officials stress the shot still meaningfully lowers the risk of hospitalization, ICU care, and death. Newer options, including the FDA-approved mRNA vaccine mFLUSIVA for adults 50 and older, may improve protection for some groups, but no flu vaccine offers perfect coverage.

3 articles · Updated · Hartford Courant · Oct 2

mFLUSIVA—the first FDA-approved mRNA flu shot—is available this season for adults 50 to 64, with accelerated approval for those 65 and older, as Connecticut doctors push broad vaccination before cases rise.
Nov. 1 is the recommended starting point for most flu shots, doctors said, because protection typically lasts 4 to 6 months and peak flu activity usually hits in late January through March.
All U.S. flu vaccines this season are trivalent, targeting A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and B/Victoria; doctors said the main benefit is reducing severe illness, hospitalization and death even when strains are not a perfect match.
Connecticut recorded 41,000 flu cases, nearly 3,700 hospitalizations and 190 deaths last season, with most severe outcomes among older adults, underscoring warnings that holiday gatherings and school spread could drive another winter surge.