The new 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines will fight the newest COVID-19 variants.

Vaccine makers also update flu shots every year to protect people from the flu strains that are most likely to surface this fall and winter.

The opportunity to protect yourself from the newest respiratory virus variants is one of many reasons you’ll want to get both your COVID-19 and flu vaccines this fall.

You can get both shots at the same time, and the exact timing doesn’t matter, according to infectious disease expert, Dr. Michelle Barron.

Just plan to get the updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 and flu vaccines sometime in the next couple of months if you want to avoid getting severely ill this fall or winter from COVID-19 or the flu and ending up in the hospital.

Barron is UCHealth’s senior medical director for infection control and prevention and is also a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

To help answer some of your top questions, we asked Barron all about the 2025-2026 COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

Misinformation about vaccines is on the rise, but don’t let that stop you from protecting yourself

You’ve probably been hearing many controversial opinions about vaccines this year. Misinformation is on the rise, and federal health leaders removed every member of a trusted committee of experts that used to provide key advice and updates about vaccines.

Barron advises her patients to ignore political discussions in Washington, D.C. and instead focus on the simple goal of protecting themselves and their loved ones.

Barron – and your own doctor – want you to stay as healthy as possible now that we’re in the middle of the back-to-school season and will soon be heading into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Vaccines are safe and effective. They work very well in protecting people from severe illness, hospitalization and death, Barron said.

She’s concerned that many people might skip getting their annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines simply because they are confused.

“Skepticism about vaccines is at an all-time high. So, it’s really important to be clear: everyone should get a flu shot,” Barron said.

She also strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccines, especially for people who are at higher risk of getting severely ill if they get COVID-19. That includes older people, immunocompromised people and pregnant women.

“Data show that the people who benefit most from a COVID-19 vaccine are those who are older and those who have underlying medical conditions, like asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), hematologic malignancy (cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow and lymph and lymphatic systems) or people who are on medications that suppress your immune system,” Barron said.

Vaccines also are essential for people like health care workers who are at higher risk for exposure to respiratory illnesses, including flu and COVID-19.

And Barron advises people to get vaccines so they can avoid severe illnesses, including long COVID.

“It’s a good idea to get a COVID shot because you can still get complications, and you can still end up in the hospital. If you get the vaccine, you’ll be decreasing that risk. Does a vaccine mean that you’re never going to get COVID or the flu? No. But it means you’re more likely to stay healthy,” Barron said.

“You get to go to work. You get to go to concerts. You get to do all of your fun stuff because you’re not sick at home in bed,” she said.

Who is at the greatest risk of getting severely ill and dying of the flu?

When it comes to flu, Barron said the people who are most at risk and absolutely need flu shots are “the very old and the very young.”

“Babies under a year of age and older adults who are 65 and older are much more likely to end up hospitalized or with a complication, including death,” Barron said.

People who are immunocompromised or who are caregivers or spend a lot of time with people who are immunocompromised should also be sure to get flu shots.

Should pregnant women get flu and COVID-19 vaccines?

Yes. Pregnant women should definitely get both flu and COVID-19 vaccines, Barron said.

Her advice has nothing to do with politics. Barron said that doctors and researchers have known for decades that pregnant women are more vulnerable to getting severely ill if they get respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19. Pregnant women can suffer and can also jeopardize the health of their baby.

“Just like flu, complications from COVID-19 during pregnancy can lead to early birth, premature birth and complications for the mother,” Barron said. “There is some anxiety about getting vaccines during pregnancy, and there shouldn’t be.

“These vaccines have been very well studied during pregnancy, and there haven’t been any issues,” she said.

While vaccines are safe in pregnancy, getting a bad case of the flu or COVID-19 can be very dangerous and even deadly during pregnancy. (Read about a woman who nearly died when she got COVID-19 while she was pregnant.)

There is conflicting advice about kids and COVID-19 vaccines. Should children get the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine?

Health experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have issued new guidance  and strongly recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for infants and babies ages 6-months to 23-months.

The AAP pediatric experts said infants and babies are at high risk for suffering severe complications if they get sick with COVID-19.

Older children who are immunocompromised should also get their COVID-19 vaccines as should children who are at high risk for severe illness if they get COVID-19, those who live in long-term care facilities, children who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine or kids who live in homes where other family members are at high risk if they get COVID-19.

AAP experts also stated that any parents who wish to protect their children from COVID-19 should be able to get the new 2025-2026 vaccine for their children. (Read the AAP’s policy statement regarding the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines for children.)

Will my health insurance cover the cost of my COVID-19 and flu shots this year?

It’s wise to check with your employer or your health insurance provider regarding the cost of vaccines. In past years, health insurance companies were required to pay for the cost of vaccines that medical experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had approved. This year, with health policy changes in Washington, D.C., some health insurance plans may no longer cover the full cost of vaccines. Some may require co-pays. Many employers, however, will continue to cover vaccines since they want their employees to stay healthy. Health insurance plans should cover the cost of flu vaccines.

Which COVID-19 variants are circulating now?

The dominant variants that are causing COVID-19 infections now are descendants of the omicron variant, which surfaced back in late 2021 and has been dominant ever since. Back in late 2023, a particular omicron descendant called JN.1 took over and started causing most COVID-19 infections in the U.S.

The current JN.1 sub-strain of the virus, which is causing the most infections now, is called NB.1.81. Researchers estimate that this strain is causing about 43% of current COVID-19 infections. Another common JN.1 sub strain that has been circulating in recent months has been the LP.8.1 variant, which is causing about 31% of cases.

Will the new 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine fight the newest variants?

Yes, vaccine makers have tailored the newest vaccines to fight the newest JN.1 variants, Barron said. Health advisors for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted in May to authorize a new formula for the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine.

Is that also true for flu shots? Do vaccine makers change the shots every year?

Yes, vaccine makers create new versions of flu shots each year. Researchers and vaccine makers study flu outbreaks that take place each year in the southern hemisphere, months before the flu season starts in the U.S. and elsewhere in the northern hemisphere. Researchers and vaccine experts then create annual flu shots based on the variants that they anticipate will become dominant months later.

When does the typical flu season start and end?

The typical flu season in the U.S. lasts from October through May, but each year is different. We don’t know yet whether cases of the flu will begin spiking relatively early in the fall or whether they’ll increase closer to Thanksgiving or Christmas, Barron said.

That’s why you shouldn’t worry about the perfect timing for getting your flu shot. Your immunities will last for several months, and you want to be protected in case flu infections start to rise early.

Barron advises people to simply get their vaccines when it’s most convenient.

“There’s no magic in getting it early or getting it late. We can’t predict the future. So, the best time to get your shots is when it’s convenient. If you have five minutes, go get your shots. It’s really about getting it done and getting it off of your to-do list,” Barron said.

Is there a ‘COVID season’ when infections and hospitalizations typically increase?

People can get COVID-19 any time of year. During the earliest days of the pandemic, cases spiked in the spring of 2020 since no one had protection against the new virus. In subsequent years, it has been typical for COVID-19 cases to rise during the winter months, much like flu cases. Each year since 2020, there have also been summer spikes in COVID-19 cases. And it’s difficult to track exactly how common COVID-19 is now since many people don’t report the illness if they get sick.

Wastewater data show that COVID-19 infections are on the rise in parts of the U.S. now, with cases spiking in places like Texas, Nevada, Utah, Alaska and Hawaii. In Colorado, wastewater data currently indicate moderate levels of COVID-19 infections.

What are the common symptoms of a COVID-19 infection now? Is it more like a cold, or are people getting severely ill when they get COVID-19 these days?

A COVID-19 infection still makes people feel really lousy, Barron said.

A case of COVID-19 feels far worse than a cold.

“The current strain of COVID-19 is causing people to feel terrible,” Barron said.

Because she’s an infectious disease expert, she sees patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19. She also hears from friends, family members and other patients who update her when they get sick.

“People who have COVID now have told me about the terrible headaches, fatigue and sore throats,” Barron said. “It’s not a walk in the park. It’s not a cold. We equate a cold with having a runny nose and coughing.”

With both COVID-19 and the flu, people can get much sicker, and the symptoms can last for days.

“People get fevers and headaches and a really horrible sore throat. Somebody described it to me as feeling like they had swallowed razors,” Barron said. “It could be the flu. It could be COVID, but it’s much more severe than the common cold.

“Just to be clear, the common cold can be annoying as heck. But colds typically are limited to the upper airway,” Barron said. “With flu and COVID, you have more systemic issues. You might have muscle aches and body aches, and you feel so tired that even walking to the bathroom seems hard.”

Barron encourages people to get vaccines so they can stay healthy and can protect vulnerable friends, family members and co-workers.

“Don’t just do it for yourself. Look at the people in your household or in your life. If you have individuals in your life who have medical conditions, which can include your children, not getting COVID-19 and transmitting it to them is a really good idea.”

Should people still get tested for COVID-19 or flu if they feel sick?

Yes, there are simple tests, and if you feel lousy, it’s a good idea to figure out if you have COVID-19 or the flu.

“There are home tests for flu and for COVID,” Barron said. “And so why do you care (which illness you have)? Because there are medications you still can take that help diminish the symptoms, or if you’re a high-risk person, the medications are likely to keep you from ending up in the hospital. So testing is still important. The results just don’t get reported (to health agencies) like they used to.”

What’s your overall advice to people who are nervous about vaccines? 

Barron encourages people to talk with their medical providers if they’re worried.

The primary concern for doctors is to keep their patients healthy and safe.

“I understand that there’s a lot of fear and anxiety because there’s so much information out in the world, and it’s hard to discern what is real and what is not,” Barron said.

“This is where I put it back on individuals to talk to their provider. Your provider has no interest in anything other than keeping you healthy. It’s our job to keep you healthy,” she said.

Political affiliations and political opinions don’t matter.

“The doctor’s thoughts about the world are completely separate.  At the end of the day, our job is to keep you safe and healthy. We are not paid by pharmaceutical companies. None of us goes to medical school or nursing school or physician assistant school with the idea that we are going to harm someone,” Barron said.

“Get rid of the noise and just ask the person who actually cares for you and knows about vaccines and has studied the information,” she said. “We can give you really solid information.”