The early surge in respiratory infections with high rates of hospitalization highlights the importance of prevention. The best tool we have for prevention is vaccination. Vaccines that protect against COVID-19 and influenza are available and recommended for everyone over 6 months of age. They have been shown to be safe and effective, and they can and do save lives.

In particular, most recent data on the newly updated bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine suggests that it produces a more rigorous antibody response against the current circulating omicron variants than the original COVID-19 vaccines.

The best way to protect infants younger than 6 months old against flu and COVID-19 is by vaccination during pregnancy. When a pregnant mother is vaccinated, maternal antibodies cross the placenta to the baby, reducing the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization in young infants by 61%. Vaccination of other caregivers, family and friends can also help protect infants.

Other preventive measures, like hand-washing, covering sneezes and coughs, staying at home and isolating when sick, can help to protect the community from these viruses and others. Paying attention to local public health advisers can also help people to have the most up-to-date information and make informed decisions to keep themselves and others – of all ages – safe.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Texas A&M University and Annette Regan, University of San Francisco. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Rebecca S.B. Fischer receives funding from the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes for Health and has previously received research funding from the National Institute for Allergy & Infectious Diseases.

Annette Regan currently receives funding from the National Institutes for Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has previously received research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the Wesfarmers Center for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, and the EuroQol Research Foundation.