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Having a strong and healthy immune system is important at all times of the year, but especially during respiratory virus season.

Your immune system plays a critical role in preventing respiratory infection. It can also prevent severe complications from respiratory illnesses like the common cold, influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

You can take many steps from a medical and lifestyle standpoint to support your immune system. Learn how to boost your immune system this respiratory virus season.

How Vaccines Help Against Respiratory Illness

Getting recommended vaccines can prevent respiratory infections or severe complications from respiratory illnesses. Vaccines train your immune system to recognize and fight respiratory viruses like influenza, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), and RSV.

“Vaccination is intended to reduce your risk of serious complications, and vaccination does pretty well at that,” says Graham Snyder, MD, medical director, Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC. “In prior seasons, including studies from last year, respiratory virus vaccines safely and effectively reduced the risk of serious complications.”

Flu vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Americans ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine, with rare exceptions.

The flu vaccine gets an update each year to protect against the strains of the influenza virus that are circulating that year.

“Every year, the vaccine manufacturers and scientists in the federal government look at what virus is circulating elsewhere in the globe, and they modify the influenza vaccines that are offered to have the best coverage for those viruses,” Dr. Snyder says. “So, they prepare your immune system to best recognize those changing viruses.”

The flu vaccine protects against three or four groups of influenza viruses (trivalent and quadrivalent vaccines, respectively). The vaccine is safe and effective in preventing flu infection and serious complications from the flu.

COVID-19 vaccine

The CDC recommends individual-based decision-making for COVID-19 vaccination. The process involves discussing your personal risks and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination with your provider. However, you don’t need a prescription for the vaccine.

The CDC says the people most at risk of COVID-19 are adults over 65 and people under 65 with underlying health conditions. Medical experts also highlight the importance of vaccination in pregnant women, individuals who haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine previously, and health care workers.

If you wish to get vaccinated for COVID-19, talk to your provider for more information. Vaccines are available through doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, and many urgent care locations. If you’re unsure about insurance coverage or copays, contact your insurer.

RSV vaccine

RSV can cause serious complications in infants and older adults. Vaccination or monoclonal antibody immunization is available to protect those groups.

RSV vaccination for older adults

The CDC recommends the RSV vaccine for:

• Adults over 75 years old.
• Adults between 50 and 74 who are at greater risk for RSV.

There are three RSV vaccines available. The best time to receive the vaccine is late summer to early fall.

The RSV vaccine isn’t an annual vaccine; if you’ve already received one, you don’t need to receive another.

“If you’ve not previously gotten an RSV vaccine, talk to your doctor because it’s effective at protecting older people against the complications,” Dr. Snyder says.

RSV vaccination for pregnant women

The CDC recommends that pregnant women receive the RSV vaccine Abrysvo when they’re 32 to 36 weeks pregnant. The vaccine is typically available from September through January.

Protection from the vaccine passes from mother to child. The vaccine’s protection lasts through the baby’s first RSV season.

“It’s important for pregnant women to get the vaccine during their pregnancy on the advice of their obstetrician because it protects their newborn,” Dr. Snyder says. “Lots of antibodies that the mother makes get passed to the newborn and are really important for protecting the newborn in their first months of life when they can’t make their own antibodies, and RSV is one of those.”

Clinical data shows that the RSV vaccine is safe and effective in reducing severe illness in infants.

RSV monoclonal antibodies for infants and young children

The CDC recommends the monoclonal antibodies nirsevimab and clesrovimab for infants younger than 8 months of age who are entering their first RSV season and meet one of the following criteria:

• Their mother didn’t receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.
• Their mother’s RSV vaccination status is unknown.
• They were born within two weeks of their mother getting the vaccine.

The CDC also recommends that children between 8 months and 19 months of age who are at risk for severe complications from RSV receive nirsevimab entering their second RSV season. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to see if they qualify.

Monoclonal antibodies aren’t vaccines, but data shows that clesrovimab and nirsevimab are safe and effective in preventing severe RSV illness.

Natural Ways to Prevent Respiratory Illness

A healthy daily lifestyle can help support your immune system and protect you against respiratory viruses.

Here are some immune system boosters that you can practice every day:

Get enough sleep

Sleep helps to maintain a healthy immune system. Sleep deprivation can make it harder for your immune system to prevent and fight off infections and other health conditions.

Adults should get at least seven hours of sleep per night. However, more than one-third of American adults don’t get enough sleep. That’s according to the CDC.

“Our immune system depends on good sleep,” Dr. Snyder says. “Usually, I counsel people to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, but being well-rested is important.

“In particular, interestingly enough, immune responses to vaccines are better when you’re well-rested than when you’re sleep-deprived. So I would also suggest, in particular, making sure you get sleep around the time that you get those vaccines because your body will make the most of the vaccines.”

Eat healthy

A healthy diet can support your immune system, ensuring you get adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity. Obesity can harm your immune system.

A healthy diet emphasizes:

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Lean proteins.
• Low-fat dairy.
• Whole grains.

You should limit your intake of saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.

Vitamins A, B6, C, and D help support your immune system. The minerals zinc and selenium also do this.

You can find them in many different types of food. If you aren’t getting enough through your diet, talk to your doctor about whether a supplement is right for you.

Staying hydrated is another part of a healthy diet. Men should aim for 125 ounces (over 15 cups) of daily water intake from all sources. Women should aim for 91 ounces (over 11 cups) of daily water intake from all sources.

Exercise

Getting regular exercise also benefits your immune system. The following are exercise guidelines for American adults:

• At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of these.
• At least two days per week of muscle-strengthening workouts.

Stop smoking

Your body’s mucociliary elevator helps to clear pathogens and dust. It also clears toxins and other debris from your body through mucus. This protects you from getting sick.

Smoking can impair this process. Quitting smoking can lower your risk of infections as a result.

“When you smoke, you basically make that ineffective, and you’re not clearing stuff out, so it has a chance to stick around,” Dr. Snyder says. “So, there is a direct correlation between smoking and vulnerability to infections.”

Limit alcohol consumption

Excessive alcohol use can weaken your immune system. It’s best to drink in moderation.

Moderate drinking is:

• Men — Two or fewer drinks per day.
• Women — One or fewer drinks per day.