Winter Wellness
Staying Healthy While Seasonal Viruses Surge
Download VYF’s Respiratory Season Toolkit here. Haga clic aquí para ver la campaña en español.
Winter is coming. Respiratory viruses like colds, influenze (flu), and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) spread the most in the winter months.
There are a few reasons for this. We spend more time indoors in close contact, making it easier for viruses to spread. Cold, dry air dries out the nose’s lining, reducing its ability to trap germs, and viruses also survive longer in these conditions. All of this creates the perfect environment for viruses to spread.
Frequent handwashing, staying home if you or your children are sick, and staying up to date on vaccines against seasonal illnesses can help protect your family.
It’s not all in your head. One study found that households with two children had at least one respiratory infection in the home for more than half of the year.
Everyone should get a seasonal flu vaccine each year, as well as Covid-19 and RSV vaccines depending on your age and risk factors.
Seasonal Illnesses & Prevention Tools
Protect Against Flu
Every year, flu sickens hundreds of thousands of children, adults, and newborns with serious, life-threatening illness. Everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccine for best protection against circulating viruses.
Annual flu vaccination protects kids by cutting hospitalization risk in half (on average), shields adults 50+ who face higher hospitalization and death rates, and safeguards newborns through antibodies passed from vaccinated mothers during pregnancy. A simple flu shot each year keeps families healthy and protects communities.
Prevent RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually spreads seasonally. It is most serious in infants, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems.
There are several effective new tools to prevent RSV in the groups at highest risk. All adults over 75 and adults over 50 with risk conditions should get an RSV vaccine. Babies should also be protected either through a vaccine given during pregnancy or a monoclonal antibody given to infants.
Avoid COVID-19
COVID-19 continues to pose a serious threat, especially for people at higher risk from COVID-19 infection including older adults, people with weakened immune systems, anyone with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and young babies who haven’t been vaccinated.
Updated vaccines are recommended to lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.
Recent policy changes have created confusion and access challenges for those seeking an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your care provider and local pharmacy to find out what’s available.
Respiratory Season Mini-Courses
New this year: short, engaging courses offer clear, trustworthy information about COVID-19, flu, and RSV—making it easier than ever to get the answers you need, make confident health decisions, and talk with your loved ones about seasonal vaccines.
Mini-courses are part of our free online education offerings through Vaccinate Your Family University.
Respiratory Viruses and Vaccines Data Deep Dive
Everyone is talking about vaccines. It’s difficult to know what to believe or who to trust.
What does the science actually say?
The studies included here are just a few of many in a well-established body of research that has confirmed repeatedly that vaccines that protect against seasonal diseases are safe and work to help prevent dangerous health outcomes. This evidence – as well as many other studies that confirm the same findings – allows experts like pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, and infectious disease experts to confidently recommend vaccination.
Flu Studies
- Influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza-associated hospitalization in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Kalligeros et al., 2020) | Link
- The burden of influenza and the role of influenza vaccination in adults aged 50-64 years: A summary of available evidence (Marchi et al., 2023) | Link
- Maternal Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits in Infants (Sahni et al., 2023) | Link
RSV Studies
- Estimated Effectiveness of Nirsevimab Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Xu et al., 2025) | Link
- Bivalent prefusion F vaccination in pregnancy and respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in infants in the UK: results of a multicentre, test-negative, case-control study (Williams et al., 2025) | Link
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine effectiveness against RSV-associated hospitalisations and emergency department encounters among adults aged 60 years and older in the USA, October, 2023, to March, 2024: a test-negative design analysis (Payne et al., 2024) | Link
COVID-19 Studies
- June 2025 ACIP Update on COVID-19 Safety Monitoring | Link
- June 2025 ACIP Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness | Link
- Hospitalization for COVID-19 and Risk Factors for Severe Disease Among Children: 2022–2024 (Free et al., 2025) | Link
- Maternal Vaccination and Risk of Hospitalization for Covid-19 among Infants (Halasa et al., 2022) | Link
- Association of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination During Pregnancy With Pregnancy Outcomes (Magnus et al., 2022) | Link
