Who Should And Who Should Not Get A Flu Vaccine
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get an influenza vaccine every season with rare exception. CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has made this recommendation since the 2010-2011 flu season.
Vaccination to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. See People at Higher Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications for a full list of age and health factors that confer increased risk.
Hey Gators Get Vaccinated
We all can play a role in caring for ourselves and our community, whether thats by getting vaccinated for COVID-19 or wearing a mask. We can also do our part by getting vaccinated for Infuenza , which can prevent you from getting sick and from spreading the flu virus to others.
Thank you for doing your part to stay well and promote a healthy community.
Why Do Some People Not Feel Well After Getting A Flu Shot
Flu vaccine side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days. Some side effects that may occur from a flu shot include soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot was given, headache , fever, nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue. The flu shot, like other injections, can occasionally cause fainting.
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Florida Department Of Health Encourages Residents To Get A Flu Shot
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ORLANDO, FL The Florida Department of Health in Orange County encourages residents to contact their healthcare provider or local pharmacy to get vaccinated against influenza .
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each fall.
Getting the flu shot each year is important and recommended for everyone six months and older, including pregnant women. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop protection against the flu.
Receiving your flu vaccination even if you are healthy prevents illness in our most vulnerable populations. People at higher risk for flu-related complications include children ages newborn to five, adults over the age of 65, pregnant women and people who have existing medical conditions such as asthma.
Here are tips to prevent the spread of seasonal flu:
- Stay home if youre sick to mitigate the transmission of the virusCover coughs and sneezesWash your hands frequently and thoroughly
Check with your physician, local pharmacy, or use our Flu Shot Locator to schedule your flu vaccine. Visit FluFreeFlorida.com for more information on how you can be a part of #FluFreeFL.
About the Florida Department of Health
How To Get Your Flu Vaccination In 2020
Due to COVID-19 and the pandemic situation, all flu clinics will be by appointment only. You will need to schedule an appointment for your flu vaccination this year. There will not be walk-in flu vaccination services this year. Beginning September 1, you may schedule your flu vaccination appointment in the following ways:
- Get your flu vaccination at most scheduled in person office visits with a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.
- Current patients: Schedule a flu vaccination appointment through your MyChart account. To enroll in MyChart, you can
Per new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , routine vaccination should be deferred for patients who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, until criteria have been met to discontinue isolation. These criteria include 10 days since symptom onset and 24 hours since fever resolution and other symptoms have improved.
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Is It Ever Too Late To Get The Flu Shot
Its never too late to get a flu shot, says Chen. As long as flu viruses are still circulating, its still worth getting a flu shot, even if its February or March.
Especially this year, you should get a flu shot as soon as you can. But if for some reason you wait until later in the season, you should still get it, he adds.
Testing And Treatment Of Respiratory Illness When Sars
While waiting on results of testing, non-hospitalized persons with acute respiratory symptoms should self-isolate at home. Even if people test negative for both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses, they should self-isolate because of the potential for false negative testing results depending upon what kind of test was done and the level of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus transmission in the community. Persons not hospitalized with suspected or confirmed influenza who are at increased risk for complications from influenza should receive antiviral treatment for influenza as soon as possible, regardless of illness duration.
For hospitalized patients, empiric oseltamivir treatment should be started as soon as possible for patients with suspected influenza without waiting for influenza testing results. Get more information on testing and treatment when SARS-CoV-2 and flu viruses are co-circulating.
CDC has developed clinical algorithms that can help guide decisions for influenza testing and treatment when SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses are co-circulating.
FDA-approved antiviral medications for treatment of influenza have no activity against SARS-CoV-2 viruses, nor do they interact with medications used for treatment of COVID-19 patients. If a patient who is at higher risk for influenza complications is diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection, they should receive antiviral treatment for influenza.
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Getting Vaccinated Is The Single Best Way To Protect Yourself And Your Family
- People who get vaccinated against seasonal flu can expect to have immunity within two weeks. The protection you get from the vaccine will continue throughout the flu season.
- Floridas flu season usually peaks in January/February. It can continue into March, but may last later. However, the last two flu seasons peaked in December. Therefore, it is important to get vaccinated early in the flu season.
- DOH-Sarasota uses multiple systems to determine how flu is impacting our community, including hospital information, lab results and school health data.
What About People Who Get A Seasonal Flu Vaccine And Still Get Sick With Flu Symptoms
There are several reasons why someone might get flu symptoms, even after they have been vaccinated against flu.
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The Best Time To Get A Flu Shot
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to get your flu shot is in the early fall, particularly in late September or October. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone get a flu vaccine by the end of October so they are protected for the entire flu season.
The flu vaccine protects you for six months, so if you get it in mid-October it should protect you through mid-April, which is through all of the flu season, which typically ends in March.
Moreover, it’s important to get vaccinated early when the flu isn’t running rampant yet because the shot takes about two weeks for your body to produce enough antibodies to protect against infection, says Robin Lopez, PA, a Physician’s Assistant at Community Health of South Florida, Inc.
That means you can still get sick with the flu within those two weeks while you’re building up immunity. So, it’s less likely you’ll get the flu if you’re vaccinated early when the flu virus infection rates are still low.
Note: A 2018 study that tracked 44,959 patients for seven flu seasons, found what’s called a waning effect. Every 28 days after receiving the shot, the participants in the study demonstrated that their risk of getting the flu increased by 16%. So, there is a chance that early vaccination may mean you’re less protected come flu season’s peak from .
Getting The Flu Shot Is Quick Easy & Free
- By getting the shot, youâre helping reduce the spread of flu-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and even death. And according to the CDC, the flu vaccine doesnât increase the risk of getting COVID-19.
- Babies, children, and older people are most vulnerable, but no one is immune to the flu. Getting the shot is a simple and free way to help protect yourself and your loved ones.
- Immunizations are a covered preventive care benefit. With Marketplace health insurance, your flu shot is free from a provider in your plan’s network.
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The Flu Shot Is Effective
The effectiveness of the vaccine varies from season to season. It depends on:
- how well the vaccine matches with the circulating flu viruses
- the health and age of the person getting the flu shot
The viruses circulating in the population can sometimes change during the time it takes to produce a vaccine. When this happens during the flu season, the flu shot may not work as well as expected.
It’s also important to remember that the flu shot protects against several different flu viruses each season. The seasonal flu shot can still provide protection against the remaining 2 or 3 viruses, even when theres:
- a less-than-ideal match
- lower effectiveness against one virus
If you do get the flu, the flu shot may reduce the severity of flu-related complications.
Getting your flu shot is still the most effective way to protect yourself against the flu and flu-related complications.
Can Getting A Flu Shot Increase Your Chances Of Getting Covid
There is no evidence that getting a flu shot increases your risk of getting COVID-19 or other upper respiratory tract infections like the common cold , states the CDC.
If youve heard rumors on social media to the contrary, it may be due to a study published in January 2020 in the journal Vaccine, which found an association between the flu vaccine and four commonly circulating coronaviruses . The study design was later found to be flawed.
Another study, published in May 2020 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, failed to find any connection between the flu vaccine and increased risk of infection with other respiratory viruses, including seasonal coronaviruses.
The majority of published research to date suggests that the flu vaccine does not make people more susceptible to other respiratory infections.
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Should Anyone Not Get A Flu Shot
According to the CDC, virtually everyone should get a flu shot. The only exceptions are:
- Children under 6 months of age.
- People who have severe, life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredients in the vaccine. This may include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients. Severe allergic reactions to flu vaccines are very rare.
- People with an egg allergy should consult with their doctor for information about the flu vaccine. Most people with an egg allergy can get a flu shot, and there are vaccine formulations that are egg-free.
- Some people who have had a rare disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome should not get a flu vaccine and should discuss their situation with a doctor.
Considerations For Getting A Covid
Its safe for your health care provider to administer a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines. If youre 12 years of age or older, you may get the flu shot at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. You may also get it any time before or after you receive the flu shot.
For children aged 5 to 11, the National Advisory Council on Immunization recommends a 14-day interval between a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines. This is to help better monitor for possible side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. Provinces and territories will decide on an interval for this age group as part of their vaccination programs.
Talk to a health care provider or consult your provincial or territorial public health authority for the latest guidance.
Learn more about:
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How Does The Flu Shot Protect You
The flu shot prompts your immune system to produce antibodies against a specific strain of the flu. If youre exposed to this particular flu virus later, youll already have antibodies ready to fight off the virus.
It usually takes about 2 weeks to build up your immunity to a flu virus after youve been vaccinated against it.
Youll have the most antibodies 1 to 2 months later. After this time, your protection begins to decline. Thats why you need a flu shot every year.
Each years vaccine is based on which strains are most likely to spread during that flu season.
The vaccine wont protect you from every strain. But if you do get sick, itll likely be less severe due to the vaccine.
The 2020-21 flu season may be complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The overlap of these two viral illnesses threatens to overburden hospitals, which typically get an influx of patients who have complications from the seasonal flu.
Getting your flu shot can help lower your risk of flu complications that could put you in the hospital.
Most people have little to no reaction following the vaccine. Theres no live virus in the flu shot, so it cant give you the flu.
Some people have a temporary reaction at the injection site, such as:
- tenderness
Normally, you can get a flu vaccine at your doctors office, your local pharmacy, or even at a walk-in retail clinic.
Some employers even provide flu shots for their employees at their workplace.
- Contact your
Is It Too Late To Get A Flu Shot
As long as the flu shot is being offered, it is never too late to get vaccinated, says Lopez.
But the end of February is the latest that vaccines are available in the Northern Hemisphere. Once March begins, the CDC and other scientists start collating data for the production of the following year’s vaccines.
The only risks associated with getting the flu shot late is that you might get the flu. And if you haven’t had the vaccine the illness could prove more serious, especially if you’re in a high-risk group.
So you can and should get immunized whenever you can, even if you’ve already become sick with the flu.
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Why Should I Get A Flu Vaccine
- The flu vaccine is the best defense against the flu. Every year, the vaccine protects against prevalent seasonal flu viruses.
- Flu season is roughly October through March. Different strains of the flu virus circulate each year, so it’s important to get a flu shot each year for your best protection.
- See below for further information about the flu vaccine. For where and when to get a flu vaccine, visit our Flu Vaccines page.
Fight The Flu: Get Your Flu Shot
Sanford, Fla. The Florida Department of Health in Seminole County encourages all Floridians to Fight the Flu by getting a flu shot this season. Getting the flu shot is the first and most important step to fight the flu and its potential serious complications. Getting a flu vaccine this fall will be more important than ever, not only to protect against infection and help prevent the spread to others, but also, to help conserve potentially scarce health care resources.
Flu shots for children and adults are available at the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County, Sanford located at 400 West Airport Boulevard by appointment Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Flu shots are free for children 6 months through 18 years of age. To schedule an appointment call 665-3700. For more information on immunizations visit . You may also get the flu vaccine through your health care provider, local pharmacy or supermarket.
Getting a flu shot each year provides protection for you, your family, friends and others. Following CDC guidance and practicing social distancing and face covering prevention measures are important to stay healthy when going to get a flu vaccine to prevent exposure to COVID-19, said Donna Walsh, health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County.
Check with your physician or use our Flu Shot Locator to schedule your flu vaccine by visiting www.FluFreeFlorida.com.
About the Florida Department of Health
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Florida Department Of Health Encourages Residents To Get Flu Shot Now
Hillsborough County, Fla. County health departments in the West Central Florida region – Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota – are urging residents to contact their healthcare provider or pharmacy to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible. Once vaccinated, it takes about two weeks to offer protection.
Getting the flu shot each year is important, but reducing illness and hospitalization from flu is even more critical this year to protect frontline health care workers and hospital systems who will continue to care for people with COVID-19 and other illnesses. Also, having the flu and COVID-19 at the same time could lead to a negative outcome.
The flu and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses, but until there is a steady vaccine supply against COVID-19, the way to help prevent these two viruses from circulating at the same time is to get your flu vaccine now.
Additionally, there will be less spread of the flu and COVID-19 if everyone continues to:
Stay home if youre sick Cover coughs and sneezes Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly Wear a face covering when around others or if social distancing isnt possible
Lives are saved when less virus is circulating.
About the Florida Department of Health
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