National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: Front Matter
Suggested Citation:"Executive Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27261.
×

Executive Summary

Fall 2023 marks the first time that vaccines for three respiratory illnesses—COVID-19, seasonal influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—will be available simultaneously. If taken, these vaccines can mitigate increases in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that could strain the healthcare system, negatively impact the economy, and add to stress for individuals and families over the coming months.

While many vaccination strategies apply to all three illnesses, each has distinct characteristics that warrant some variation in emphasis:

  • Updated COVID-19 vaccines: The context for the updated vaccines includes low uptake for the 2022 vaccine booster. The strategy for the updated vaccines needs to include communicating their value and benefit (i.e., what they are for and why it is important to get them) and facilitating access now that the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has ended (i.e., how to get them).
  • Flu: The flu vaccine has been available for decades, but uptake has historically been low, with variation by age, race, sex, and other factors. As with the updated COVID-19 vaccine, the strategy for the flu vaccine needs to include communicating the associated risks and benefits (i.e., why it is important to get it) and addressing systemic issues related to access (i.e., how to get it).
  • RSV: The RSV vaccines are new, currently recommended for certain adults 60 years of age and older. Because of the newness of these vaccines, it is necessary to educate the public about their value, risks, and benefits (i.e., what they are for and why it is important to get them), their efficacy and safety (i.e., development, testing, and what is currently known and not known about the vaccines), and facilitate access (i.e., how to get them).

State, tribal, local, and territorial authorities can be instrumental in promoting these vaccines. This rapid expert consultation describes vaccination strategies for fall 2023 that are based on current research in science communication, decision making, sociology, anthropology, and social psychology. One aspect of these strategies is communicating with the public about the safety of the vaccines, the integration of the updated COVID-19 vaccines into ongoing public health efforts, and the effectiveness and safety of the new RSV vaccines (Box 1). Another aspect is considering practical measures for overcoming accessibility challenges (Box 2). Related to both aspects is the importance of developing vaccination strategies that address the needs and concerns of groups that have historically been marginalized and/or bear a disproportionate burden of associated morbidity and mortality, including historically minoritized communities, unhoused individuals, under-resourced neighborhoods, and older adults.

Suggested Citation:"Executive Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27261.
×
Suggested Citation:"Executive Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27261.
×
Page 1
Suggested Citation:"Executive Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27261.
×
Page 2
Next: Introduction »
Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023 Get This Book
×
 Promoting Uptake of COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Vaccines for Fall 2023
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Fall 2023 marks the first time that vaccines for three respiratory illnesses - COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - will be available simultaneously. If taken, these vaccines can mitigate increases in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that could strain the healthcare system, negatively impact the economy, and add to stress for individuals and families over the coming months. This publication describes vaccination strategies for fall 2023 that are based on current research in science communication, decision making, sociology, anthropology, and social psychology. Produced through the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN), this rapid expert consultation links researchers in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences with decision makers to provide actionable guidance on critical and complex issues, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ FREE ONLINE

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!