Vaccine News & Notes — September 2023

Fall means planning for vaccinations

As summer winds down and schools reopen, we start to think about getting back to routines, watching football games (Go Birds!) and preparing for the holidays. Don’t forget to add planning for vaccines to your list! Annual influenza vaccines should be scheduled for the fall, preferably September and October for most people.

The updated recommendations related to COVID-19 vaccinations should be coming in the next few weeks, but we expect that certain high-risk groups will be recommended to get a booster once updated COVID-19 vaccines are available.

And as described in the September 2023 Feature Article, some older adults can also now take advantage of RSV vaccines. Likewise, some babies will be recommended to get the new monoclonal antibody preparation, called Beyfortus™, to protect them against RSV this winter. Watch for more details about this new tool in a future issue of Parents PACK.

A closer Look: Carrying the legacy forward

The greatest vaccine scientist of all time, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, was born on August 30, 1919, as the “Spanish flu” pandemic wound down. To celebrate Dr. Hilleman’s birthday and his life’s accomplishments, the August issue of The Hilleman Chronicle, the Vaccine Education Center’s newsletter for science and history enthusiasts, featured an article describing vaccine progress since Dr. Hilleman’s death in 2005. As stated by Isaac Newton, “If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” In that spirit, we hope you will take a moment to check out the article in memory of and gratitude for Dr. Hilleman and his accomplishments.

• Read the article.
• Sign up for The Hilleman Chronicle.