Leaders from the Pennsylvania Departments of Health (DOH) and Aging are encouraging all Pennsylvanians to stay up to date on their annual vaccinations to protect against flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) heading into the holiday season. 

Since the start of the respiratory virus season on September 29, emergency department visits resulting in a flu, COVID-19, or RSV diagnosis have remained low; to help these numbers remain low, Pennsylvanians should get vaccinated against respiratory viruses. During the current respiratory virus season, the DOH has recorded 1,083 laboratory-confirmed flu cases and three deaths; 96 COVID-19-related deaths; and 470 confirmed RSV cases.

Most insurance plans cover COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccinations at no cost, but for people who are underinsured or uninsured, the COVID-19 vaccine is available through local State Health Centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers. For children who qualify, COVID-19, flu vaccines, and other routine childhood immunizations are available at no cost through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
The flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are regularly updated to protect against current virus variants. Health care providers recommend these vaccinations for people six months and older.

Respiratory viruses share similar symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, a runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills, and fatigue.

For residents at higher risk for more severe illness due to age or health status, it is recommended that they visit a health care provider and get tested early to be eligible for antiviral medications. These medications are available for the flu, COVID-19, and RSV. If started early in the illness course, these medications ease symptoms, shorten the length of a viral infection, and reduce the risk of severe health outcomes.

For more information and to find a nearby vaccination location, visit vaccines.gov.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health provides weekly updates throughout the respiratory virus season on its respiratory virus dashboard to keep residents informed.