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As the 2025-26 respiratory illness season begins, the new COVID-19 booster vaccines have been released with new recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
San Benito County Public Health pharmacist Mary White advises local residents to talk with their health care providers if they have questions or concerns about the new guidelines. She added that “people should take precautions against respiratory infections if they can.” She advised receiving vaccines and perhaps even wearing masks if people feel they need them.
New FDA guidelines
- Age
- Children under 5 have developing immune systems and smaller lungs and airways.
- Older adults experience natural weakening of the immune system, making it more difficult to defend against infectious respiratory diseases. The risk of getting severe illness increases with age.
- Underlying Medical Conditions
- People with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from infectious respiratory diseases. An individual with asthma, for example, may already have increased swelling and mucus production in their airways. The addition of a respiratory virus such as flu can further increase swelling and mucus production, making it harder for the body to deal with the stress from the infection.
Underlying conditions include:
- Chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Weakened immune system
Outside of these recommendations, insurance companies might not cover the cost.
According to the CDC, pediatric doses of COVID vaccine range from $57.50 to $141.80 and adult doses range from $136.75 to $141.80.
Vaccines are available at:
- Walgreens (Moderna): Appointment required
- CVS (Moderna): Appointment recommended; walk-ins accepted
- Safeway (Pfizer and Moderna): No appointment required
Pharmacies do not ask for proof of underlying conditions.
According to the San Benito County Health Department, parents and guardians should consult with pediatricians about vaccines for children. The health department does not have COVID-19 vaccines yet as they come from the state, which has not yet released them. White said she expects to receive them soon.
White told BenitoLink that while most respiratory diseases are more prevalent in autumn and winter, COVID-19 can peak during other seasons, too.
Why do respiratory infections increase in autumn and winter?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are three main factors:
- Environmental conditions Temperature and humidity can affect the ability of viruses to survive and spread. Dry conditions, which are particularly common in winter, can cause water to evaporate more quickly from respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, resulting in smaller particles that last longer in the air and travel longer distances.
- Immune susceptibility Dry and cold air interfere with the ability of the body to sweep viruses out of the upper respiratory tract, which is the immune system’s first line of defense. At the population level, protection from prior infection and vaccination wanes over time. This results in more people being susceptible in the winter when respiratory viruses are spreading the most.
- Behavioral patterns Spending more time indoors with less ventilation during the colder months, as well as holiday gatherings and travel, can increase spread. That’s because viruses spread between people more easily indoors than outdoors, in part because the concentration of these particles is often higher indoors.
COVID-19 activity tends to fluctuate with the seasons, meaning it has some seasonal patterns. Data from four years of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths show that the disease has winter peaks but also summer peaks. There is no distinct COVID-19 season like there is for influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). While flu and RSV have a generally defined fall/winter seasonality and circulate at low levels in most parts of the United States in the summer, meaningful COVID-19 activity occurs at other times of the year.onality and circulate at low levels in most parts of the United States in the summer, meaningful COVID-19 activity occurs at other times of the year.
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