A Doylestown pediatrician is leading a statewide push for families to get flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines before respiratory illnesses spread this fall.
Dr. Toni Richards-Rowley, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Pennsylvania chapter, said September and October are the best months to get a flu shot because the body needs time to build antibodies. Updated COVID-19 vaccines, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late August, may be slightly delayed reaching pharmacies, she said.
Richards-Rowley urged people not to put it off. "Because life can sometimes life, and you forget to do it and it's November or December," she told WHYY on Monday, Sept. 14.
State health leaders are following vaccine guidance from the AAP, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and other national medical groups. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not release new seasonal vaccine recommendations this summer. It issued interim flu-shot guidance Sept. 1 based on last year's immunization schedule.
Everyone 6 months and older is encouraged to get at least one flu shot and one COVID-19 shot. Adults 65 and older may receive two COVID doses and an enhanced high-dose flu vaccine.
The push comes as Pennsylvania battles its worst measles outbreak since the U.S. declared the disease eliminated in 2000. The state Department of Health had confirmed 676 cases across 37 counties as of Sept. 11, with 124 people hospitalized.
More than 99 percent of those cases involved unvaccinated or undervaccinated people, according to CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota. Bucks County has reported no confirmed measles cases.
Still, local school immunization rates have slipped. The county's average MMR vaccination rate among students fell to 95.6 percent, down from 97.6 percent in the 2019–2020 school year, according to Central Bucks News. At least 12 Bucks County schools recorded kindergarten MMR rates below 90 percent in 2024.
Richards-Rowley said she recently counseled a family in her practice who had not vaccinated their children against any diseases. After she raised concerns about the measles outbreak, the family agreed to get the MMR vaccine.
For newborns, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends an RSV vaccine for pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Infants without RSV antibodies can receive a monoclonal antibody treatment. RSV-associated hospitalizations among newborns have dropped significantly since those options became available in 2023.
Dr. Andrew Lutzkanin, president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and a family medicine physician in Middletown, said he takes a flexible approach with hesitant parents, sometimes spacing out shots across multiple appointments.
Upcoming vaccine clinic
Bucks County residents looking for shots can visit flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Bucks County Community College campuses Tuesday, Sept. 15, through Thursday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership and Giant Pharmacy are running the clinics. Bring a valid ID and insurance card. Those who are uninsured or underinsured can email [email protected] for assistance.
