SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)— Fall is here, and so is the season for respiratory infections. The CDC is urging everyone to get up to date on vaccines to minimize the side effects and potential hospitalizations.

Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there were about 800,000 hospitalizations for COVID, RSV, and influenza in 2023, and they would like to see that number lowered this year.

“The vaccines have arrived. And so if you if you do one thing this week or this weekend, try to take a minute to schedule time to go get you and your family, your vaccines,” Shah said.

Shah said that a common thread in the number of those hospitalized last year was that 95 percent were unvaccinated.

In addition to vaccinations, Shah emphasizes the importance of avoiding gatherings when you do not feel well and shares an anecdote about his family’s plan to stay healthy.

“One of the things that we’re trying to do in our family is to establish that so that if there’s a Sunday dinner at somebody’s house, but you’re not feeling well, don’t feel the need to come. There’s always going to be another dinner. There’s always going to be another church picnic. There’s always going to be another school meeting. But if you go and spread a disease that can hurt a lot of people, particularly folks who are older, well, that’s not going to be in the spirit of this time of the year.”

While flu and COVID vaccines are recommended for anyone six months of age and up, Shah says the CDC has a different set of guidelines for RSV vaccinations.

The RSV shot is a little bit different for anyone 75 and over. They should get that shot. Now, for folks who are between the ages of 60 and 74. It really depends on whether you’ve got some health conditions that might make it harder for your body to deal with RSV if you got it,” Shah said. “So maybe you’ve got asthma, maybe you’ve got something like heart disease or hypertension. If you’ve got one of those conditions, it’s also worth it to get the RSV shot.”

When is the best time for flu or COVID vaccines to have a healthy holiday?

Shah recommends getting vaccinated when it suits your schedule; however, your immune system needs time to acclimate, so a little lead time before holiday gatherings is recommended.

“Like any medicine or measure, vaccines take a little while to reach maximum effectiveness. With these vaccines, it’s about two weeks or so before they are maximally effective. Now, don’t worry, because even while they’re building up, your body is still enjoying the benefits of protection. But I recommend folks take the month of October.”

Shah said in Louisiana, only about 14 percent of residents were vaccinated against COVID, while about 36 percent received flu shots last year and says they would like to see those numbers climb in 2024.

What’s the difference between vaccines this year versus previous versions?

Shah explained the differences in vaccine formulas by analogizing software updates to phones or other digital devices.

“The core of those vaccines, the blueprint that they work off of, hasn’t changed. All that has changed is that they’ve gotten a little bit of a software update. And that software update means that they are that much more effective against the versions or the strains of the viruses that are circulating right now. Again, they’re still fundamentally the same, but they’ve just gotten that little software update to keep them timely.”

Ultimately, Shah says the vaccines are intended to minimize the effects we feel when contracting one of these viral infections; and the overall goal is keeping one another safe, especially elders, those with pre-existing illnesses, and young children.

“When one of us is that much more safe, all of us are that much more safe,” Shah concluded.

For more information, visit vaccines.gov . Watch the full interview with Dr. Nirav Shah on KTAL News Now Live on Tuesday, October 8.