Will We Ever Have A 2
Pairing flu shots with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a second dose of an mRNA vaccine, or a booster, will make vaccination appointments one and done for many people.
In the future, the process could be even more streamlined. As soon as next year, you might be able to get the flu and COVID-19 shots as a single jaban advancement that will hopefully improve the uptake of both vaccines.
At least one company, Novavax, is working on a combination vaccine. In June, that the vaccine being tested may be a viable immunization strategy. While those results were promising, the study has yet to be peer-reviewed.
These results demonstrate the promising opportunity for vaccination, which may improve the uptake of both vaccines, said Gregory M. Glenn, MD, president of research and development at Novavax.
Vaccine Supply And Distribution
How much influenza vaccine is projected to be available for the 2021-2022 influenza season?
Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. Vaccine manufacturers have projected that they will supply the United States with as many as 188 million to 200 million doses of influenza vaccine for the 2021-2022 season. These projections may change as the season progresses. All flu vaccines for the 2021-2022 season will be quadrivalent . Most will be thimerosal-free or thimerosal-reduced vaccine and about 18% of flu vaccines will be egg-free.
Where can I find information about vaccine supply?
Special Consideration Regarding Egg Allergy
People with egg allergies can receive any licensed, recommended age-appropriate influenza vaccine that is otherwise appropriate. People who have a history of severe egg allergy should be vaccinated in a medical setting, supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions. Two completely egg-free flu vaccine options are available: quadrivalent recombinant vaccine and quadrivalent cell-based vaccine.
Are There Different Types Of Flu Vaccine
Manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, there are several types of vaccine products that are licensed and recommended for use in the United States. Experts at the CDC recommend getting any licensed age-appropriate flu vaccine. Because licensing and administration criteria are so rigorous, any age-appropriate vaccine that passes testing is recommended by the CDC.
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Who Can Have An Nhs Flu Vaccine From A Pharmacy
You can get a free NHS flu vaccine from a pharmacy if:
- you’re aged 65 years old or over
- you have certain medical conditions
- you’re pregnant
- you’re a frontline adult social care worker who cannot get a vaccination from your employer
Starting from mid-October, if youre aged 50 years old or over you can have a free NHS flu vaccine. This is so at-risk groups can be vaccinated first.
If youre in this age group and have a long-term health condition that puts you at risk from flu, you dont have to wait until mid-October.
The pharmacy will tell you how and when you can book your vaccination.
Who Can Get The Flu Shot
Experts recommend those aged six months and older get the flu vaccine every year. This includes senior citizens and pregnant women, with no precluding factors.
The importance of getting a flu shot when you are eligible is so great because there are some people who are not able to receive the vaccine. Those who are often exempt from flu shot recommendations include anybody younger than six months, individuals with severe life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or its ingredients and those with a family history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
If you have any concerns regarding the vaccine or want to ensure you dont have any allergies to the vaccines ingredients, you should discuss with your personal care doctor.
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Why Should People Get Vaccinated Against Flu
Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and flu can affect people differently, but millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. Flu can mean a few days of feeling bad and missing work or it can result in more serious illness. Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children. While some people who get a flu vaccine may still get sick, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness.
What This Means For You
As flu season approaches, the CDC is advising people to get their flu shot by the end of October. If you have not yet received all your initial COVID vaccine dose or doses, or if you are eligible for a booster dose, its safe to get both vaccines on the same day.
The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.
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Where To Get A Flu Shot
During flu season you can get a free flu shot from:
- your doctor or nurse practitioner
- participating pharmacies
Children six moths to four years old can get their flu shot from a doctor, nurse practitioner or local public health unit. Children under five years old cannot get a flu shot at a pharmacy.
Is It Safe To Get Both Shots At Once
According to the CDC, current guidance has shown that COVID-19 vaccines can be coadministered with other vaccines, including influenza vaccines.
Lisa Grohskopf, MD, MPH, a medical officer in the influenza division at CDC, tells Verywell that while weve said recently when asked that its safe to get both vaccines, this is the first published notice.
The CDCs recommendation to give both shots at the same vaccine appointment is an update to previous guidance, which stated that people should wait 14 days between the COVID-19 and other vaccines.
According to the CDC, the guidance changed because experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, after getting vaccinated and possible side effects of vaccines are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.
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Where To Get The Flu Vaccine
You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:
- your GP surgery
- a pharmacy offering the service
- your midwifery service if you’re pregnant
- a hospital appointment
If you do not have your flu vaccine at your GP surgery, you do not have to tell the surgery. This will be done for you.
It’s important to go to your vaccination appointments unless you have symptoms of COVID-19.
Where Should A Pregnant Person Get Vaccinated
There are many different options for pregnant people to receive a flu shot, including a health care providers office, at work, a pharmacy, some stores, or a supermarket. All these places give flu vaccines that are licensed and approved for use in the United States. If youve never had a problem when previously receiving a flu vaccine, then there is no reason you cant get a flu vaccine at work or a supermarket.
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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.
A Flu Vaccine Is The Best Protection Against Flu
Getting an influenza vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu. Pregnant people should get a flu shot and not the nasal spray flu vaccine. Flu shots given during pregnancy help protect both the pregnant parent and the baby from flu. Vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant people by up to one-half. A 2018 studyexternal icon showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant persons risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent. Pregnant people who get a flu vaccine also are helping to protect their babies from flu illness for the first several months after their birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated. A list of recent studies on the benefits of flu vaccination for pregnant people is available.
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Special Consideration Regarding Egg Allergy
People with egg allergies can receive any licensed, recommended age-appropriate influenza vaccine that is otherwise appropriate. People who have a history of severe egg allergy should be vaccinated in a medical setting, supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions. Two completely egg-free flu vaccine options are available: quadrivalent recombinant vaccine and quadrivalent cell-based vaccine.
Side Effects From The Flu Vaccine
- Side effects are if you feel sick following your vaccine.
- Common side effects are usually mild, dont last long and go away without any treatment, like pain and swelling at the injection site.
- Fever is less common.
- There is no live virus in the vaccines used in Australia.
- It is not possible for the flu vaccine to give you the flu.
- If you have any concerns or questions about the flu vaccine, please discuss with your GP.
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Postpone Your Flu Shot If You Have Covid
The best way to protect yourself and others against seasonal flu infection this fall or winter is to get a flu shot. According to the CDC, the flu shot reduced the risk of flu by 40% to 60% when the vaccine was well matched to the viruses estimated to be spreading in previous flu seasons.
But if you have a suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection, the CDCadvises postponing a flu shot until after your symptoms have resolved. This recommendation is essential if you are very sick, but it also applies if you tested positive for COVID-19 and do not have any symptoms.
Find A Flu Shot Location Near You
If you have a UnitedHealthcare health plan, you can get a flu shot at more than 50,000 locations.
Enter your ZIP code and select a pharmacy in your area, then select Find my flu shot to see results within a 20-mile radius from the center of your ZIP code.
Please note: If you’re using a screen reader, please select Participating pharmacies, then select a pharmacy to find a location near you.
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Why Should I Get The Flu Jab Every Year
The best way to help protect yourself and others from flu is to have the flu jab every year. Over time, protection from the flu jab gradually decreases and flu strains can change, which means a previous flu jab may not protect you from this year’s strains.
How effective is the flu vaccine?
Whilst no vaccine is 100% effective, having a flu jab will help protect you from catching flu and passing it on to others. After your jab, it usually takes around two weeks to be protected.
What happens at the appointment?
One of our vaccinators will inject the vaccine into your upper arm. As with all medicines, there may be some side effects but these are usually mild and should disappear within a day or two. The most common side effects include:
- Redness, soreness or bruising at the injection site
- A high temperature, sweating, shivering or feeling unwell
- Headaches, fatigue or dizziness
- Aching muscles or joints
In the rare event that you have an allergic reaction to the vaccination, our vaccinators are trained to help with this.
Who Is Most At Risk
Complications from the flu can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or heart attacks and, in some cases, death. Flu causes about 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in Canada each year.
Some people are more vulnerable to complications and hospitalization from the flu:
- babies under 6 months old are too young to get the flu shot, but they’ll get some protection if their parent got the flu shot while they were pregnant
- children under 5 years of age, because their immune systems are developing, and their airways are small and more easily blocked
- people 65 years old and older, because their immune systems are weaker and they are more likely to have an underlying condition that increases their risk
- pregnant people, because their immune system, heart and lungs change especially later in pregnancy making them more likely to get seriously ill from the flu
- people with underlying health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes
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How Effective Is The Seasonal Flu Shot
Influenza vaccine effectiveness can vary. The protection provided by a flu vaccine varies from season to season and depends in part on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine and the similarity or match between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation. During years when the flu vaccine match is good, it is possible to measure substantial benefits from flu vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness and complications. However, the benefits of flu vaccination will still vary, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated , what influenza viruses are circulating that season and, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used. For more information, see Vaccine Effectiveness How well does the Flu Vaccine Work. For information specific to this season, visit About the Current Flu Season.
There are many reasons to get an influenza vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious complications.
Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination and selected scientific studies that support these benefits.
- Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
- A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit with flu by 82 percent.
Groups Who Should Especially Get The Vaccine
The flu shot can protect you against the flu. Because of this, it can reduce your chances of being infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. This can lead to serious complications. You should especially receive the flu vaccine this season if youre:
- at high risk of severe COVID-19 related illness
- capable of spreading the flu to those at high risk of severe illness related to COVID-19
The flu vaccine is especially important for the following groups.
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Stay Safe Get Vaccinated
The CDCsays it takes about two weeks for protective antibodies to develop in response to the flu shot. It recommends having a flu shot in September and, ideally, by the end of October.
But if youve had coronavirus and need to wait until you meet the CDCs criteria for determining when to get vaccinated, rest assured that you can still get a flu shot later in the season, well into January and the early spring months. The CDCexpects vaccines will be available for a longer period this flu season because vaccine manufacturers are producing a record number of doses.
Yes But Heres What To Know About Timing All Your Vaccines This Fall
by Michelle Crouch, AARP, September 10, 2021
Westend61 / Getty Images
En español | September and October are big months for flu shots, but this year, it’s also when COVID-19 booster shots could start rolling out. So you may be wondering: Is it OK to get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time?
Absolutely, health experts say. In fact, many doctors plan to encourage Americans to get both at once.
“It’s two for the price of one, says Ranit Mishori, M.D., a professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Get one in each arm. It’s an efficient and effective way to make sure you’re protected.” Mishori notes that the same goes for those who are immunocompromised and might want to time their third dose to their flu shot.
It’s important for older adults to get both shots this year because COVID-19 cases are surging, fueled by the spread of the more contagious delta variant, just as the flu season is set to begin. Both diseases are especially dangerous for those over 65.
Although the flu season was nonexistent last year, experts expect a comeback this year with K-12 students back in school, more people traveling and fewer COVID-19 restrictions in place.
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