Pfizer Launches VaxAssist, to Help Individual’s Assess Respiratory Vaccine Eligibility

As more respiratory vaccinations have become available in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to provide annual guidelines for common respiratory illnesses—COVID-19, pneumococcal pneumonia, influenza (the flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—to help ensure eligible populations are seeking vaccinations, especially during respiratory illness season.^1,2,3,4,5,6 Pfizer has launched VaxAssist, an online tool that helps adults 18 and older check their eligibility for these respiratory vaccines so they can take action to help protect themselves.

The influx of health information over the past few years, including false or misleading claims, could lead to confusion and low acceptability of vaccines among those who are eligible.⁷ Individuals may also feel overwhelmed by the annual vaccination guidelines and unsure how to navigate them.⁸ VaxAssist will not only assist them in determining their eligibility for COVID-19, pneumococcal, flu and RSV vaccines, it will also provide information on where they can get vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu nearby. The tool allows individuals to browse pharmacy and doctor’s office locations for COVID-19 and flu vaccines directly through the user-friendly locator tool.

“VaxAssist is aimed at helping people overcome questions on vaccine eligibility and where they may be able to find locations for COVID-19 and flu vaccinations nearby to help ensure they’re ready for respiratory illness season,” says Cozi Namer, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Pfizer, and lead developer of the new platform. “I’m proud of the team’s collective effort to develop a tool that empowers individuals in their preventative care and aims to reduce the impact of future respiratory illnesses.”

Last year, the United States experienced a severe flu outbreak comparable to other severe outbreaks over the last decade.^9,10 This was further compounded by widespread RSV and COVID-19 hospitalizations.¹¹ According to the CDC, this “triple-demic” of flu, COVID-19, and RSV caused more than 230,000 emergency room visits among all ages in just a single week during its peak of December 2022.¹¹ One survey showed nearly 40% of U.S. households reported that someone in their household had been infected by one of the viruses during the holidays.¹² In addition, it is estimated that over 150,000 hospitalizations from pneumococcal pneumonia occur annually in the U.S.¹³

This year’s CDC outlook indicates that we’ll see similar rates of hospitalizations from COVID-19, RSV, and the flu.¹ In fact, the total number of hospitalizations is expected to be higher than what we experienced prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the potential to cause significant strain on our healthcare system.¹

“A significant part of the U.S. population is aged 65 years and above, and these individuals are at higher risk of infection from several common respiratory illnesses," says Erica Chilson, U.S. Respiratory Medical Lead, Pfizer. “Despite increased availability, many eligible individuals still fail to get vaccinated due to accessibility barriers, including uncertainty around what nearby locations are providing vaccinations, alongside fractured information, which we are hoping to alleviate with the launch of VaxAssist.”