The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the 2024-2025 COVIVD-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past two months to protect against potentially serious illness from COVID-19. Recommended dosages and the schedule vary depending on age, immune status and COVID-19 vaccine history.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid plans cover COVID-19 vaccines without cost-sharing when received at an in-network provider or pharmacy. Those who are uninsured, or whose insurance does not cover the updated vaccine, will have access to the shots free of charge through community health centers or local health departments participating in the New York State Department of Health Vaccines for Adults program.

The Department of Health’s Office of Aging and Long-Term Care and the Office of Public Health have taken several steps to protect long-term care (LTC) facility residents and their staff by reiterating the importance of vaccination for all consenting residents and health care personnel, as well as implementing infection control and prevention measures.

The Department also encourages LTC facilities to provide flu and RSV shots to residents in addition to the updated COVID-19 vaccine. These are three separate vaccinations. Consistent with CDC guidelines, it is safe to get all three vaccines at the same time.

The general public is also encouraged to ask their health care provider about receiving other vaccines they may be eligible for, including flu and RSV.

The Department‘s Wadsworth Center continues the vital strategies of wastewater surveillance, conducted with partners at Syracuse University and others across the State, as well as sequencing of clinical specimens, to understand variant spread and the potential impact on public health. Current wastewater surveillance also indicates a decrease in the prevalence of the virus.

The flu, RSV and COVID-19 are contagious, respiratory viral infections that can have similar symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish between the three illnesses. People with chronic conditions, including those that affect the lungs and heart, young children, elderly populations and pregnant people, have a higher risk of developing serious complications from the flu, COVID-19 and RSV.