September 19, 2023- For community pharmacists, cooler temperatures, school buses on the roads and Friday night football are not just signs of a changing season – they are indicators that patients will soon be seeking vaccinations for the 2023-2024 respiratory illness season.
This fall, recently FDA-approved vaccines for both COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will be available in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, which the CDC recommends patients receive during mid-September and October.
The timing for these new vaccines is ideal, given patients have visited their local pharmacy for fall vaccine appointments in large numbers in recent years. A 2023 IQVIA study shows that 60-70% of all flu vaccines are administered at pharmacies during the third and fourth quarter of the year, when flu season typically begins. The study also notes that pharmacy claims for flu vaccines increased 30-40% in 2020, over 2018 and 2019 claims.