As an updated COVID vaccine is likely to become available in the next few weeks, those preparing for the fall and winter respiratory virus season can get their new vaccine the same time as their annual flu shot.

Unlike many of the COVID vaccine updates since the first version was released in late 2021, the new formula is not a booster. Instead, it is a new version of the mRNA vaccine specifically targeting the omicron variants of the virus most prevalent in the United States over the past year or more.

Specific details of the new vaccine are not yet publicly available, but the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on Sept. 12 to discuss approval. Should the committee adopt the new vaccine as widely expected, those in the United States could get their new vaccination within the month.

While still near their all-time lows, COVID-19 hospitalizations have been rising nationally during the summer. According to the Spokane County Regional Health District coronavirus dashboard, the amount of the virus in Spokane’s wastewater rose in August, but hospitalizations have mostly stayed low.

Spokane County health officer Dr. Francisco Velázquez said in an interview the district will work to make the new vaccine available to the public should it be approved, along with other annual vaccines.

“The vaccine has not been released and we don’t know what the general allocation will be. But as a general rule … either we participate by doing vaccine clinics or we provide it to others so they can have the vaccines for their own clinics,” he said.

Another complication is that the new COVID vaccine will not be distributed free of charge as has been true in the past. Under the Affordable Care Act, most commercial insurance is required to cover the COVID vaccine.

“Since they’re not under emergency use authorization, people have to make sure with their provider and insurance that they can get access to it,” Velázquez said. The health district will provide the vaccine through its immunization program “to the best extent that we can,” he added.

The new vaccine’s release coincides with the annual flu season, and Velázquez said the public should reframe the COVID vaccine in their mind to that of an annual flu shot – part of the general precaution against respiratory illness in the fall and winter.

“We’re going to see the vaccine change, and the vaccine is going to change based on the sub-lineages that are most prominent in your area. And so I think it’ll help people to look at that and think, ‘I need to go get an updated vaccine every year, because look how the virus has changed since the last time I had a vaccine,’ ” he said. “You will have new vaccines because the virus is not the same as it was last year.”

To that end, the new COVID vaccine can be co-administered in one arm with the flu shot in the other arm. That approach allows medical providers to know which vaccine caused an adverse reaction, such as swelling, if one does occur. Velázquez suggested Spokane residents speak to their provider before being administered both vaccines at the same time.

“My advice is you make sure to have this conversation with your provider between Labor Day and Halloween, and have gotten at least the flu shot and the COVID vaccine if it is available,” he said.

Those who are due for a COVID vaccine do not need to wait for the new version if getting doses indicated for their age and condition.

“The new recommended schedule for CdOVID-19 vaccine is one dose for those who are 5 years and older and not immunocompromised. This applies to those who have received all recommended doses and those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19,” said health district spokeswoman Kelli Hawkins. “If you are immunocompromised, your provider may recommend additional doses for you. Make sure to talk with them at your next appointment.”

The Federal Drug Administration also approved a new vaccine for RSV, a common respiratory virus that causes mild flu-like symptoms. A first for the disease, the vaccine is approved in a one-shot dose for those age 60 or older. Because risks for serious complications are variable, those interested in the RSV vaccine should speak with their doctor.

Vaccine-maker Pfizer is seeking additional approval for the RSV vaccine to treat pregnant women. It has been approved by the FDA but not yet by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. If it is approved, the vaccine will be available to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, and it would provide immunization to the infant for their first six months of life.

Spokane Public Schools, the largest district in the area, serving over 29,000 students, hold clinics to distribute vaccines throughout the school year. The Spokane Regional Health District hosted a free clinic at Shaw Middle School on Wednesday, administering COVID vaccines to adults and children, and routine childhood vaccines for kids, including the flu shot. Mead School district sent a flier home with the more than 10,000 students enrolled to promote annual wellness checkups with families’ doctors. Providers can administer immunizations at these appointments, which are free for insured people younger than 20.

Both Spokane and Mead districts encourage families to work with their primary healthcare provider to discuss vaccinations.

“This year for the first time we have flu, and RSV and COVID vaccines,” Velázquez said. “We’re looking forward to going back to school. And I know that our schools are prepared, we’ve already been working with them on pretty much all of the prevention that they need to happen. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everything’s going to be smooth.”