A newly published systematic review showed that COVID, RSV, and seasonal flu vaccines are safe and effective in people of all ages. This study provides further evidence that these vaccines are important during the fall and winter when these diseases are more prevalent and dangerous.

Many people are reluctant to receive these vaccines for various reasons. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the trope that the flu vaccine doesn’t prevent the flu, or that it even causes it. This new research debunks the claims that these vaccines are neither safe nor effective.

This post will examine this new study and provide the key evidence that supports the safety and efficacy of the RSV, seasonal flu, and COVID vaccines.

New study on the RSV, seasonal flu, and COVID vaccines

In a systematic review published on 29 October 2025 in the New England Journal of Medicine, Jake Scott, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, and co-authors reviewed 511 studies that examined the safety and effectiveness of COVID, RSV, and seasonal flu vaccines.

Here are the key results:

• Among adults who received mRNA COVID vaccines against the XBB.1.5 variant during the 2025-2026 season, the pooled vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization was 46% across three cohort studies, 50% across four case-control studies, while a case-control study of children showed a vaccine effectiveness of 65% against hospitalization.
• The authors examined two US case series that showed no significant link between myocarditis and COVID vaccination. A French case-control study showed a lower risk of myocarditis with longer dosing intervals.
• A pooled analysis of three case-control studies showed that maternal RSV vaccination during pregnancy was 68% effective at preventing infant hospitalization, compared with a 55% efficacy rate in a randomized controlled trial.
• Immunization with nirsevimab (Beyfortus) exhibited a pooled vaccine effectiveness of 83% against hospitalization from RSV among infants younger than 12 months in 12 observational studies.
• The researchers’ analysis of studies showed no association between maternal RSV vaccination and hypertension during pregnancy, stillbirth, preterm birth, or congenital abnormalities.
• Among adults aged 18-64 years who received the influenza vaccine, three case-control studies had a pooled vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization of 48%. In addition, the pooled vaccine effectiveness against medically-attended infection was 49% in 19 case-control studies. I
• For adults aged 65 and older, 10 case-control studies of various flu vaccines showed a pooled effectiveness against hospitalization of 42%. Pooling 20 case-control studies in that age group delivered a 41% vaccine effectiveness against medically-attended infection.
• Two US case series showed flu vaccines had no significant association with Guillain-Barré syndrome among adults aged 65 and older. Another case series of Medicare Advantage members showed no significant links between flu vaccination and ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke in the 22-42 days after vaccination.

The authors concluded:

Ongoing peer-reviewed evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of immunizations against COVID-19, RSV, and influenza during the 2025–2026 season.

Summary

This study is supported by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy’s (CIDRAP) Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP), which may replace the CDC for science-based information on vaccines.

Nevertheless, this review provides powerful evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of three key vaccines for the fall/winter respiratory disease season — RSV, seasonal flu, and COVID.

The flu, RSV, and COVID are dangerous infectious diseases, particularly for the youngest and oldest. And we have demonstrably safe and effective vaccines to prevent those diseases.

Get the vaccines and save a trip to the hospital.

Citations

• Scott J, Abers MS, Marwah HK, McCann NC, Meyerowitz EA, Richterman A, Fleming DF, Holmes EJ, Moat LE, Redepenning SG, Smith EA, Stoddart CJ, Sundaram ME, Ulrich AK, Alba C, Anderson CJ, Arpey MK, Borre E, Ladines-Lim J, Mehr AJ, Rich K, Watts C, Basta NE, Jarolimova J, Walensky RP, Dugdale CM. Updated Evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and Influenza Vaccines for 2025-2026. N Engl J Med. 2025 Oct 29. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa2514268. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41160817.

Help the Skeptical Raptor keep writing about vaccines

There are four ways you can help contribute to keeping this website running at full speed:

1. GoFundMe.
2. Subscribing via Patreon.
3. Buying on Amazon.
4. Sharing this article on Social Media.