2024 - 2025 Respiratory Disease Season

SMFM is monitoring the latest on the 2024-2025 respiratory disease season (also commonly referred to as respiratory virus season). Although respiratory diseases can be circulated year-round, there are seasonal increases in infectious respiratory diseases in the fall and winter. In the contiguous United States, that seasonality is typically from September – January. The common illnesses are COVID-19, seasonal influenza virus (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). SMFM and CDC recommend COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccinations in pregnancy.

  • COVID-19 Vaccination: The CDC recommends that everyone aged six months and older, including pregnant people, receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. 
  • Influenza Vaccination: The CDC recommends that everyone aged six months and older, including pregnant people, receive updated 2024-2025 seasonal Influenza vaccination. 
  • RSV Vaccination: The RSV vaccine, Abrysvo® by Pfizer, is the only approved vaccine for use in pregnancy and is recommended for pregnant individuals between 32 0/6 weeks and 36 6/7 weeks of pregnancy - without a plan for delivery in the next two weeks - from September 1 – January 31. 
    • People who have received Abrysvo® during pregnancy are not recommended to receive additional doses during future pregnancies. 
    • Infants born to people vaccinated only during a prior pregnancy should receive Nirsevimab.
    • This recommendation may be updated in the future as additional data becomes available.  

Preparing for Respiratory Disease Season

As you prepare for respiratory disease season, here are some options to help keep yourself and your patients healthy:   

  • Build vaccine inventory: If you offer the COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines in your practice, ensure adequate vaccine inventory for the 2024-2025 season.  
  • Nurture pharmacy relationships: If you do not offer these vaccines in your practice, consider connecting with local pharmacies to ensure they stock the recommended vaccines. Confirm that your patients know where to access the vaccine.
  • Co-administer vaccines: The COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines can be co-administered with each other and with other routine immunizations, such as Tdap. 
    • There is no minimum waiting period between vaccines if a patient prefers to receive them at different times. 
  • Be a vaccine champion for yourself, your colleagues, your family, and your friends: Get your updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines and encourage people in your networks to do the same. Updated COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are available now. 

Thank you for helping to spread the word about vaccines recommended during pregnancy. Visit the SMFM Patient Education website to find downloadable posters (available in English and Spanish), social media graphics, messaging, videos, animated graphics, and more!

SMFM is a part of the Maternal Immunization Task Force, a national level multi-organization partnership with the American Academy of Family Physicians; American College of Nurse-Midwives; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.  

Call to Action: Obstetric Care Professionals Urge Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy (October 2024) 

The Maternal Immunization Task Force has issued a Call to Action urging the importance of the currently recommended vaccines during pregnancy: influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and Tdap.  Vaccines are an essential part of prenatal care, offering critical protection to pregnant people and their fetuses against potentially deadly diseases.   That is why, collectively, the American Academy of Family Physicians; American College of Nurse-Midwives; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine affirm the importance of recommending and advocating that pregnant people receive all recommended vaccines at the appropriate time during pregnancy.  The ongoing decrease in vaccination rates in this population calls for an urgent commitment from all health care professionals to strongly recommend these vaccines to pregnant people.