You’ll see new versions of influenza vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 season.
Flu vaccines will be TRIVALENT...for the first time in over a decade.
All flu vaccines in the US will still protect against 2 A strains, H1N1 and an updated H3N2 strain...plus the B/Victoria strain. But they won’t include B/Yamagata...it’s no longer circulating.
Also keep in mind that annual flu vaccine doesn’t protect against H5N1 bird flu. But H5N1 vaccine production is underway...in case immunization becomes needed.
Work with your pharmacy team to offer influenza vaccines ideally in September or October...and continue as long as flu is circulating.
Encourage an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and up...and use ANY product appropriate for their age and health status.
For patients 65 or older, dispense a higher-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccine...Fluzone High-Dose, Flublok, or Fluad...if available.
Don’t be surprised if certain younger adults get high-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccine. CDC now says they’re options for organ transplant recipients age 18 to 64 who are on immunosuppressants (tacrolimus, etc).
Take note of other changes...to limit errors. For instance, Fluzone High-Dose is back to 0.5 mL/dose...NOT 0.7 mL like the last few years.
Bookmark our resource, Flu Vaccines for 2024-25, to compare products, including FluMist...in terms of approved ages, doses, etc.
COVID-19 vaccines will also be updated...to try to match circulating variants. Expect 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer to specifically target the KP.2 variant...Novavax’s vaccine will target JN.1.
But either composition is expected to offer protection against current variants...and CDC doesn’t prefer one product over another.
Anticipate dispensing any age-appropriate 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for all patients 6 months and up...just like flu. See CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations for dosing, who needs additional doses, etc.
Stay tuned to our COVID-19 Vaccines resource for emerging updates.
Expect that most payers will cover vaccines for COVID-19 or flu at no cost to patients. But CDC’s Bridge Access Program offering free COVID-19 vaccines to un- or under-insured adults ended August 2024.
Continue to ask about other vaccines that patients may need (RSV, shingles, Tdap, etc)...it’s okay to get these at the same visit.
Be aware that a combo flu/COVID-19 vaccine could be available NEXT fall...and that flu/RSV and COVID-19/flu/RSV vaccines are in the works.
Go to your CE & Training Organizer to register for our live CE, Immunization Updates 2024: Discussing Your Big Questions, on Tuesday, October 15...or search for it afterward to listen on demand.
Also look into our PTU Elite: Immunizations program for training on vaccine administration.
- CDC. ACIP Recommendations. Recent Meeting Recommendations. June 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recommendations.html (Accessed August 1, 2024).
- CDC. CDC Recommends Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter Virus Season. June 27, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-t0627-vaccine-recommendations.html (Accessed August 1, 2024).
- CDC. Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States Interim Clinical Considerations. June 27, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html (Accessed August 1, 2024).