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August 30, 2024
Do you or your child have asthma or another chronic lung disease? If so, you may be at higher risk for severe illness from contagious viruses such as the flu or COVID-19. It’s important for people with asthma to stay on track with CDC-recommended vaccinations. Any illness can impact breathing and lead to an asthma attack or worsened allergy symptoms.
The flu vaccine is available for the 2024-25 flu season. The 2024-25 version of the flu vaccine is trivalent. This means it will protect against three flu viruses: an A(H1N1) virus, an A(H3N2) virus, and a B/Victoria virus.
A new COVID-19 booster vaccine is also available. Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax have each developed updated COVID-19 boosters for 2024-25.
Another new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is available. It’s called mRESVIA and it’s for adults ages 60 and older. Now there are three RSV vaccines available for older adults and a preventive RSV monoclonal antibody treatment for infants and young children.
You can get the flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines all at the same time, if you so choose. The vaccines are available at a doctor’s office, health clinic or pharmacy (including supermarket pharmacies).
Severe allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. If you or your child have had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine in the past, talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about alternatives.
Remember, no vaccine is 100% effective. Viruses – especially COVID-19 – can mutate quickly. Different versions of a virus may emerge. So you may still get sick even if you get vaccinated. If you do get sick, the vaccines can help prevent severe symptoms, hospitalization and death.
Learn the facts about vaccines for people with asthma and allergies. Find out which vaccines are recommended for you or your child.
Flu vaccine and asthma
People with asthma who get the flu are at high risk for severe illness. Complications can arise even if asthma is well controlled. The flu virus can inflame airways and trigger an asthma attack.
CDC recommends all people 6 months of age or older get the flu vaccine. It’s the best protection against getting sick with the flu and passing it on to others.
September and October are the best months for people to get vaccinated against the flu and have protection for the entire flu season. But any time is better than not at all.
Remember, it takes about 2 weeks for the flu vaccine to provide protection after receiving the dose. Take that into account when you schedule your vaccine.
Egg allergy and Flu/COVID-19 vaccines
Many people who are allergic to eggs express concern that vaccines have egg protein. Some – but not all – flu vaccines have egg protein. The amount is very small.
CDC guidelines say flu vaccines do not pose a risk for an allergic reaction to eggs. So it is safe for people with egg allergy to receive the flu vaccine. CDC has recommended that people with a severe egg allergy get the flu vaccine in a doctor’s office so they can be monitored afterward. But in 2023, CDC said this precaution is no longer necessary.
COVID-19 vaccines are not made with egg proteins, so there is no egg allergy risk.
COVID-19 vaccine and asthma
Adults and children 6 months of age and older with asthma can get the 2024 COVID-19 vaccine. You can get it even if you have previously had COVID-19, received a prior COVID vaccine, or have never had a COVID vaccine. This includes people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
People with asthma who use inhaled medications or oral corticosteroids can get the vaccine. So can people with asthma who are taking biologic medications. For biologics, it’s recommended that there be a 1-7 day waiting period between injections.
People with asthma should keep taking their medications as prescribed before and after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Keeping your asthma under control can also reduce your risk of severe COVID-19 disease.
The COVID-19 vaccine is free to most people who have private or government health insurance. Talk with your doctor about other ways to prevent COVID-19 if you have asthma.
Pneumonia vaccine and asthma
Pneumonia is a serious, life-threatening health concern for people with asthma. It is an infection that inflames air sacs in the lungs. It can lead to cough, fever and difficulty breathing.
CDC recommends the pneumonia vaccine for:
- children younger than 2
- adults between the ages of 19 and 64 with asthma
- all adults 65 years of age or older
RSV vaccines and asthma
Three RSV vaccines are available for adults. Arexvy is for adults ages 50 and older. Abrysvo and mRESVIA are for adults ages 60 and older. In addition, a preventive RSV monoclonal antibody treatment called Beyfortus is available for infants and young children. It acts similarly to a vaccine.
The vaccines develop antibodies against the protein that enters cells and causes RSV. People with asthma diagnosed with RSV are at risk for more serious illness.
The vaccines are expected to offer protection for an entire RSV season, which is about five months. They could provide protection for up to a year.
Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccines and asthma
People with asthma are at higher risk for getting whooping cough. They are also at risk for developing severe asthma symptoms if they do get whooping cough.
Most children receive a series of whooping cough vaccines in the first year of life. They receive boosters between 15 and 18 months and between 4 and 6 years of age.
Adults who have never had a whooping cough vaccine should also get one. Expectant mothers should get the whooping cough vaccine because it helps protect newborns.
Latex allergy and vaccines
Some vaccines use vial closures and syringes that may contain latex proteins. There is concern that latex proteins may get mixed in with the vaccine. The risk level for a latex-allergic reaction to a vaccine is very low. You should receive your vaccines unless you have previously had a severe allergic reaction to latex.
Vaccines for adults (age 18 and older)
Wondering what vaccines you may need for yourself? Not sure if it’s time for a pneumonia vaccine if you have asthma or COPD? Take this quiz to get a list of vaccines you may need. Discuss the quiz results with your healthcare team. The quiz is also available in Spanish.
Vaccines and pregnancy
Wondering about whether vaccines are safe during pregnancy? Not sure if you should get the flu shot if you are pregnant and have asthma or other chronic lung disease? You can take a quiz to get a list of vaccines you may need during pregnancy. Discuss the quiz results with your healthcare team. The quiz is also available in Spanish.
Learn more about vaccines and pregnancy from CDC.
Vaccines for travelers
Not sure what vaccines you may need before traveling overseas? Take a quiz to get a list of vaccines you may need for travel. Discuss the quiz results with your healthcare team. The quiz is also available in Spanish.
Vaccines for children (birth to 18 years)
Make sure your child is up to date on vaccinations. It is one of the best things you can do for your child. Vaccinations not only protect your child from contagious diseases, but they also protect your community. Schedule regular well-child visits with your child’s doctor and ask about recommended vaccines.
Wondering what vaccines your child may need? Take this quick quiz to get a list of recommended vaccines for children. It is helpful for students heading off to college, too. The quiz is also available in Spanish.
Questions & answers (Q&A) about childhood vaccinations
Here are some frequently asked questions that patients ask doctors about vaccinations:
Why are vaccines important?
Before vaccines, diseases like polio, measles and smallpox would run rampant through communities. They would kill huge numbers of people. Now, thanks to vaccines, smallpox is eradicated and polio is almost non-existent.
In some areas of the United States and elsewhere in the developed world where parents opt out of vaccines, dangerous diseases such as measles and whooping cough are making a comeback. If we stop immunizing, it won’t take long for outbreaks to spread. People who are not immunized put themselves and others at risk for contagious diseases.
Remember: around the world, a child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that can be prevented with a vaccine.
Why do I need to vaccinate my infant? Why can’t I wait until the child is older?
Babies are born with very immature immune systems. Newborns receive some immunity from their mother, but this quickly wears off. It takes time to build it up again. Young children are vulnerable to disease. Vaccination is the best way to protect them. Delaying it puts your baby and others at higher risk for illness.
Are there side effects to vaccines?
Vaccines go through rigorous safety studies before FDA approval. Most vaccines available today have been used for decades, with few problems. Side effects are mild and rare. Through the years, vaccines have been made more safe and effective.
Do vaccines cause autism?
Vaccines do not cause autism. Vigorous studies around the world have found no connection. The original research that sparked this fear was a small study of 12 children that involved falsified evidence.
Why do vaccines contain aluminum and mercury? Aren’t they dangerous?
Aluminum is an additive that makes the vaccine’s active ingredients more effective. Mercury (also called thimerosal) is a preservative. Both are naturally occurring elements found in our environment. They are in foods, including fruits, vegetables and milk.
The amount of aluminum and mercury in vaccines is extremely small. It does not pose a health risk. Infants will receive more aluminum in their diet in the first six months of life than from vaccines.
A recent study did not prove a possible link between aluminum in vaccines and childhood asthma, although study authors say more research is warranted.
Reviewed by:Purvi Parikh, MD, FACAAI is an adult and pediatric allergist and immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill in New York City. She is on faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor in both departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine.
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