It’s time to get flu and Covid-19 shots

(CNN) —& Respiratory virus season has arrived in the United States and health officials say that October is a prime time to get vaccinated.Vaccines for Covid-19, flu and RSV are available now. While the respiratory virus season tends to peak between December and March, getting vaccinated in the fall can help provide protection throughout the season.It takes about two weeks for the body to build up a complete immune response after vaccination, but the protective benefits can last for months, said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.Covid-19 is already circulating at high levels in the US, and flu won’t be far behind.“We’re still trying to understand exactly what our new normal respiratory disease seasons are going to look like, but we are already seeing a lot of respiratory disease activity in a lot of places across the country,” Hamilton said. “I would really encourage folks to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”Forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that this respiratory disease season will be similar to last year’s — which brought more than 20 hospitalizations for every 100,000 people in one week at its peak — and far worse...