COVID-19: How to protect yourself this fall and winter

Information is current as of September 28, 2026. Public health recommendations and local respiratory-virus activity can change.

COVID-19 continues to circulate year-round, and increases can occur in late summer and during the fall and winter respiratory-virus season. The good news is that practical steps, including staying up to date on vaccination when eligible, testing when symptoms develop and seeking treatment early if you are at higher risk, can lower the chance of severe illness.

Because vaccine recommendations and local COVID-19 activity can change, Dr. Jason Bowling, director of hospital epidemiology for University Health, encourages everyone to talk with their healthcare provider about what is right for you and to check the latest public health guidance before making a vaccination or treatment decision.

Dr. Bowling answers commonly asked questions about COVID-19 and the surge we’ve been seeing around the community.

Why is COVID-19 Increasing Again?

COVID-19 activity can increase as the virus develops new mutations and strains. Some mutations help newer strains partially evade antibodies produced after infection or vaccination, making reinfections more likely and contributing to renewed spread.

Summer travel increases contact among people from different places. Intense heat can also move gatherings indoors, where ventilation may be more limited than outdoors and respiratory viruses can spread more easily.

As fall and winter approach, immunity from a previous infection or vaccination may have decreased over time. School schedules and more time spent indoors also create additional opportunities for the virus to spread.

It is too early to predict exactly how severe the 2026–2027 fall and winter season will be. However, influenza, COVID-19 and RSV can circulate at the same time, and the timing and size of each wave vary.

When Will an Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Be Available?

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration selected a monovalent vaccine targeting the JN.1-lineage XFG variant for the 2026–2027 season.

Updated vaccines were approved in late August 2026 and began rolling out to pharmacies, clinics and health systems.

At University Health pharmacies, we have the two latest vaccines available:

• Comirnaty, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, is for ages 12 and older.
• Spikevax, manufactured by Moderna, is for children 6 months to 11 years old. This vaccine is only available at the Pavilion and the Robert B. Green Campus pharmacies.

Should I Get an Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Now?

The answer depends on your age, health conditions, vaccination history, recent infection and which product is appropriate for you. The FDA-authorized 2026–2027 products are approved for all adults age 65 and older and for certain younger people with at least one condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19.

Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about eligibility and timing, especially if you recently had COVID-19, are pregnant, are immunocompromised or have a chronic medical condition.

How Can the Updated Vaccine Protect Me?

Updated vaccines are designed to more closely match viruses expected to circulate during the season. They may not prevent every infection, but vaccination can refresh immune protection and is intended to reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death. These benefits are especially important for older adults and people with underlying conditions such as diabetes.

When more people have protection through vaccination or prior infection, the virus has fewer opportunities to spread widely, contributing to herd immunity.

Because COVID-19, flu, colds and allergies can cause overlapping symptoms, compare common signs in Do I Have the Flu, a Cold or Allergies? Testing may be needed to know which infection you have.

What Variant Is Circulating, and Will the Updated Vaccine Help?

The 2026–2027 vaccines target XFG, a descendant of the JN.1 lineage selected by the FDA to more closely match circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Variant proportions can change quickly, so a single “most common variant” may not remain dominant throughout the season.

Symptoms may include sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, headache and fever. Loss of taste or smell can still occur but is less common than it was early in the pandemic.

Many mild cases improve within several days to about two weeks, but symptom length varies and some people experience longer-lasting effects. Seek medical care for severe or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, persistent chest pain, new confusion or difficulty staying awake.

How Can a Vaccine Developed Earlier Protect Against a Changing Virus?

One of the concerns we have with the COVID vaccine is how closely does it match what's circulating now. Similarly to the flu vaccine, scientists select a vaccine target months before doses are distributed so manufacturers have time to produce and test the updated formulation.

Even if the virus continues to change, related variants share features that the immune system can recognize. Protection may not be a perfect match against infection, but it can still help reduce the risk of serious outcomes.

When Will We Have a Combined COVID-19/Flu Vaccine?

It will not be available this fall. It hasn't gone through all the other regulatory hurdles it has to go through to be available to the general public, but we should anticipate that it will be available next year and that will make things a lot more convenient.

There's still hope for the combined flu/COVID vaccine that will make things much more convenient for lots of people. Moderna has finished some phase three trials, which is the last stage of trials that has to be performed to show that this vaccine is clinically effective. And the good news was that they saw very positive results in antibody levels in people who received this combined vaccine. 

How Long Can I Use My Home COVID Test Past the Expiration Date on the Box?

COVID tests have an expiration date because there's liquid in the test that can evaporate over time. And the testing strips have some antibodies that are specific for the virus that causes COVID. Over time, the protein in those strips will break down and make that test less effective. 

So if you use an expired test, you have a higher chance you're going to have a false negative, meaning it says it's negative, but you may actually have COVID. Check if that expiration date has been extended because the FDA has allowed some extension of some of the test kits.

The best way to check that is to go to the FDA website. You can match it with your test and the lot number, and it’ll tell you what the extended expiration date is if it has been extended. So you may be able to use it longer than what it says on the box. 

How Long Should Someone Isolate if They Have COVID?

If you develop symptoms, test promptly, especially if you are at higher risk for severe illness.

The newest Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on isolation for COVID is that people stay home until at least 24 hours past their last fever and overall improvement in their symptoms. Then they should wear a mask around other people for five days from their symptom onset. 

CDC guidance also says outpatient COVID-19 treatment should begin as soon as possible: Paxlovid must be started within five days of symptom onset, while remdesivir must begin within seven days. Paxlovid can interact with other medicines and may not be appropriate for people with certain kidney or liver conditions, so contact a healthcare provider quickly.

Immunizations at University Health

If interested in receiving the updated COVID-19 vaccine, you can view our walk-in vaccination hours at our eight pharmacy locations. 

Have questions about vaccination, testing, symptoms or treatment? Contact your primary care provider. For current guidance and additional resources, visit University Health’s COVID-19 information page.

You can also watch Dr. Bowling answer common questions during the 2024 summer COVID-19 surge. Some details may have changed, so refer to the current guidance in this article when making health decisions.