Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines help people risk less severe illness and do more of what they enjoy. As part of the Risk Less. Do More. campaign, CaringInfo has teamed up with the Department of Health and Human Services to help those making healthcare decisions for themselves and their loved ones – healthcare navigators – learn about this season’s vaccinations and why they may benefit from vaccination.
About Risk Less. Do More.
Risk Less. Do More., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pan Respiratory Virus (PRV) Public Education Campaign, seeks to inform key audiences about influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. Risk Less. Do More. aims to:
- Encourage more people to get flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines during the 2024–2025 season, reducing the negative effects of respiratory viruses on individuals, families, communities, and the nation;
- Increase public confidence in flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines;
- Help people understand more about vaccines; and
- Ensure that everyone is aware of where and when they can get vaccinated, especially within vulnerable communities.
CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), has been chosen as a partner to participate in this campaign and help educate healthcare navigators about the preventive measures they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones at increased risk.
Protect yourself and your loved ones
Each year, Flu, COVID-19, and RSV take a heavy toll across the United States. In 2023 alone, more than 400,000 people in the United States were hospitalized for flu, 900,000 were hospitalized for COVID-19, and over 200,000 were hospitalized for RSV. Of the adults who were hospitalized for COVID-19, 90% were not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine. People who skipped their flu shot were also twice as likely to need medical help for the flu. Vaccines cut your risk of being hospitalized for flu or COVID-19 by about half.
Who is at risk?
The risk of serious illness remains highest in certain people, including people who are not up to date on their vaccines, adults ages 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, pregnant people, and those living in rural areas.
Most deaths from flu, COVID-19, and RSV are in people older than age 65, and the risk grows with age. In fact, adults ages 65 and older are 10 times as likely to die from flu, COVID-19, or RSV as people under age 50.
As people grow older, their immune systems do not work as well, and older adults are more likely to have health conditions that make them more likely to get sick.
If you help care for a family member or friend 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.
When are you most at risk?
In the cooler months of fall and winter, the increased time spent indoors with less ventilation also makes it easier for viruses to pass from person to person.
Some viruses, such as the virus that causes COVID-19, survive longer and spread faster in colder temperatures, and cold, dry air can may make it harder for the body to fight off illness.
How often should you or your loved ones get vaccinated?
Everyone six months and older should get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines annually. Adults ages 65 and older and people with certain conditions that compromise their immune systems should get an additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine within six months of their initial dose to strengthen and extend protection against severe illness. Currently one RSV vaccination is recommended, not annually.
Flu and COVID-19 can make you really sick. But vaccines lower your risk of severe disease, and any side effects are usually mild and temporary.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines go through extensive testing—both in the lab and with volunteers—before they are available to the public. There is no evidence that vaccines cause or worsen conditions like cancer or infertility, and vaccines help keep symptoms mild so you can stay out of the hospital if you get infected.
COVID-19 vaccines have undergone the most thorough safety analysis in U.S. history. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures companies that make vaccines do it with care so vaccines are safe and work the way they should.
Like other medications, vaccines have some level of risk, but serious side effects are rare. Some people have no side effects from flu, COVID-19, or RSV vaccines. Any side effects are usually mild and go away on their own in a few days. The most common side effects for respiratory vaccines are soreness or red skin where you got the shot, tiredness, fever, body aches, and headache. Severe side effects or allergic reactions are rare. They only occur in five of every one million doses given. If you think you are having an adverse reaction to a vaccine, contact your doctor.
Vaccine safety is carefully monitored.
How can you learn more about vaccinations and what is right for you?
More information about flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines is available at cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore.
You should also talk to your doctor – or that of your loved one – to see confirm what options are best for you.
To gain tools for having conversations with your loved ones or providers regarding vaccination or other serious-illness care, visit How to Plan, Prepare, and Be Present.
