As we move into fall and winter, we know the viruses that cause respiratory disease will usually circulate more heavily in communities. Already, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it expects this year to be similar to last year when we saw higher than normal numbers of hospitalizations from COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu as surges in cases from the "tripledemic" presented many challenges for our nation's hospitals and care teams.

The good news is we have weapons to protect ourselves and our loved ones against all three of these respiratory viruses and diseases - vaccines.

Flu shots are generally widely accessible. Updated Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older are now available. And earlier this month, the CDC recommended the first maternal vaccine to protect newborns from severe illness from RSV, the leading cause of hospitalization for American infants.

The people working in hospitals and health systems are trusted sources of information. Answering questions, sharing personal reasons for getting vaccinated and respecting people's concerns about vaccination are all powerful ways we can help our communities stay healthy.

The AHA has been and continues to work on many fronts to share the message about the importance of getting vaccinated.

• United Against the Flu. This week we launched our 2023-24 United Against the Flu campaign to help hospitals and health systems encourage their communities to get vaccinated for the current flu season. Resources include a flu shot finder tool, social media toolkits and graphics for use on the web, and COVID-19 and flu FAQs. The CDC recently reported that this season's flu vaccines have already reduced the risk of being hospitalized for flu by 52% in five countries in the southern hemisphere.
• Podcasts and PSAs. We've released a podcast series featuring health care leaders sharing how they are building trust and working with community partners to foster vaccine confidence. We also continue to push public service announcements, including one with leaders from the AHA, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association, on the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Educational Resources for Consumers and Health Care Workers. Our vaccine confidence webpage contains a host of resources, including videos, infographics, social media toolkits and other tools to help spread messages to individuals and communities.

Vaccination against these respiratory viruses is important for everyone and especially for those who are at higher risk of developing serious complications, including older Americans and those with weakened immune systems.

We'll keep sharing the message that vaccinations are safe, simple and effective ways to protect individuals, families, health care workers and entire communities.