The season of sickness is upon us, and it carries with it the unwelcome presence of some common and highly contagious viruses, including influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (commonly known as RSV). For those who meet the criteria, vaccines for these illnesses are readily available at most health care clinics and pharmacies in the Tulsa area. 

Flu, COVID-19 and RSV are respiratory diseases that impede the body’s ability to move fresh oxygen into the bloodstream and remove waste gases. Lindsey

Hammond, a registered nurse and supervisor of immunizations at Tulsa Health Department, says these sicknesses present similar to a normal cold but can lead to severe and even life-threatening lung infections. “We recommend vaccinating for all three,” she says. “Like with all vaccines, they protect and prevent diseases. They’re not only to protect yourself, but also to protect others.” 

Vaccines spark an immune response by introducing a mild version of an illness to the body. This allows the immune system to get a ‘quick win,’ so that it remembers the bug and attacks any future infections, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Lorrie Pinkston, a registered nurse at Indian Health Care Resource Center, contends that getting vaccinated might just keep you off a ventilator. Each year in the U.S., RSV alone is responsible for approximately 60,000-126,000 hospitalizations of adults age 60 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Vaccines can keep (you) out of the hospital,” she says.

The CDC recommends COVID-19 and flu shots for everyone ages 6 months and older, while the newly released RSV vaccine is approved for adults 60 and up, infants born just before or during the RSV season and pregnant women at 32-36 weeks of pregnancy. However, a select few should avoid the injections, despite falling into this demographic. “If they are allergic to any component of the vaccine or if they’ve had a reaction to a previous vaccine, that’s something they need to talk about more in depth with their provider before getting vaccinated,” Hammond says. Pinkston adds minor allergies sometimes can be prevented with an antihistamine prior to injection, but it warrants a doctor’s approval. 

The best time to get these immunizations is before the season’s peak. 

“The season starts in September and ends in January, with the height being in November and December,” Pinkston says. RSV is remarkably high at this time of year, and it can be especially dangerous in older adults and infants. It is a common cause of lower respiratory tract disease, which affects the lungs and can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis (the swelling of the small airway passages in the lungs). In July 2023, the FDA approved the RSV immunization, Beyfortus, for infants, but Hammond and Pinkston both say it’s been challenging to acquire. “Everybody wants it,” Pinkston says.

For adults age 60 and up, the RSV vaccines Abrysvo and Arexvy are on the market. This age group tends to be immunocompromised, so RSV presents more severe and often requires hospitalization. “For this reason, we want you to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Pinkston says. Abrysvo is also the vaccine recommended for pregnant women. Receiving this vaccine not only protects the mother, but the newborn, Hammond says.

Alongside RSV (Abrysvo) Tulsa Health Department and Indian Health Care Center currently are offering the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines. To find more information or to schedule an appointment, visit tulsa-health.org/flu or ihcrc.org.