Respiratory virus season has arrived in the United States and health officials say that October is a prime time to get vaccinated.

“Right now is the best time” to get all the recommended fall vaccinations, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as she got her flu shot Wednesday. She has an appointment for her COVID-19 shot, too. It’s “the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself, your family, your community.”

Here are some guidelines on when and where to get the COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines, plus some tips to stay healthy.

So, when should you get a flu shot? Does it matter? "Timing the flu vaccine can be important because the immunity it gives begins to wane after about four months," says Dr. Linda Yancey, MD, the director of Infection Prevention at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston.