Can I Get My Flu Shot And Covid
Yes, you can get a flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time during the same appointment, TODAY previously reported.
There isnt any scientific evidence that tells you that you have to space them out, said Ko, adding that it may also be more convenient to get both shots at the same time.
I encourage people to get both at the same time … especially if youre in one of the high risk groups for COVID-19 or influenza … whether it be the elderly, the immunocompromised, people with secondary medical conditions, said Pekosz.
How Much Is A Minuteclinic Visit For Flu Shots At 655 K St Nw Washington Dc With And Without Insurance
Flu Shots at MinuteClinic typically costs $50-$74, while all MinuteClinic® prices in Washington range anywhere from $35 to $250 depending on the service. Please visit our service price list and insurance information page to see detailed pricing and insurance breakdowns. At CVS MinuteClinic®, most insurance plans are accepted. We recommend contacting your insurance company prior to your visit to be sure that the service you are seeking will be covered. How much you will have to pay out of pocket will depend on your insurance coverage. If you do not have insurance or prefer to pay out of pocket, you may pay with cash, card, or check. Prices may vary depending on the complexity of the case. Lab tests and additional services may result in additional charges.
Cant make it in for a visit? We also have Video Visits, which enable you to see one of our health care professionals from the comfort of your own home as an alternative for just $59 per visit. Currently, a Video Visit is not covered by insurance and is not required to get treatment.
How Do I View My Minor Childs Vaccination Records
Check your email for the COVID-19 vaccination record if both the following conditions apply:
- The minor was vaccinated at CVS Pharmacy®
- An email address was provided at scheduling/check-in
A record of the vaccination should have been immediately sent to that address. It would have been sent from with a subject line of For Your Records.
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Protect You And Your Loved Ones By Getting A Flu Shot
encourages residents six months and older to get an annual influenza vaccination by the end of October to reduce the chance of getting the flu and spreading it to others.
According to the Centers for Disease Control , COVID-19 will likely continue into the fall and winter and may overlap with the flu season.
Catching the flu and COVID-19 at the same time can make you very ill, said Dr. Ankoor Shah, Medical Officer overseeing Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccine initiatives at DC Health. This means getting a flu vaccine now is more important than ever, he added.
The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death.
No two flu seasons are alike, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the 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.
In the District of Columbia, typically 30-35 percent of its residents get an annual flu shot and during 2015-2018, the number of annual District resident deaths due to Influenza, or Pneumonia, ranged between 78 and 104 deaths annually.
Flu vaccines are very safe and the vaccine is available now at many private health care providers, free clinics and pharmacies.
Mayor Bowser Encourages All Residents To Get Their Flu Shot And Eligible Residents Their Covid
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser encouraged all residents to receive their annual influenza vaccination by the end of October and encouraged eligible residents to get their COVID-19 booster.
Its not just COVID we have to be thinking about because now were also in flu season. Whether you need your first, second, or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you can get it done at the same time as your flu shot, said Mayor Bowser. We know our seniors have done a fantastic job getting vaccinated over 92% of DC residents who are 65 and older are partially or fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Now, a lot of our seniors are eligible for the booster.
All people six months and older should get their annual flu vaccination by the end of October to reduce the chance of getting the flu and spreading it to others. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death.
Flu vaccines are very safe and the vaccine is available now at many private health care providers, free clinics, and pharmacies in all eight wards.
Recommendations around booster shots are specific to individuals who received the Pfizer vaccine and who received their second dose at least six months ago.
The CDC now recommends:
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What Should You Do If You Catch The Flu
The flu is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause mild to severe illness, per the CDC, and common symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, fatigue, chills and more. Most people will recover without needing medical care or treatment.
The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone and to contact your health care provider if you are concerned, feeling very sick, or in a high-risk group .
There are also flu antivirals available that require a prescription, the experts noted. “Those work really well in terms of keeping people out of the hospital and limiting disease severity,” said Pekosz, adding that these are particularly important for high-risk groups.
Ultimately, the goal is to prevent people from getting sick in the first place. When were thinking about public health, the most efficient thing is to prevent disease rather than wait until people are sick and they need to get treated, said Ko.
These vaccines are available now and people should get them starting now so their immune systems can be best prepared, Ko added.
Caroline Kee is a health reporter for TODAY Digital. She previously worked for Healthline and Buzzfeed News.
What Is A Bivalent Vaccine And How Is It Different From Other Covid
A bivalent vaccine is created to generate an immune response against two different antigens, or viruses. In this case, the updated vaccine includes an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
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How Can I Be Sure That My Local Cvs Pharmacy Or Minuteclinic Offers The Pfizer
At this time, our CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine have either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Patients are able to see which CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations have which vaccine and appointment availability on the CVS website or MinuteClinic website before scheduling, which is recommended especially when looking for an appointment for children ages 1215 that require the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Our online scheduling tool will only display appointments at locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once the patients age is provided.
To Schedule An Appointment:
Note: Having health insurance through AU is not required to attend any of the clinics.
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Virginia Reports First Child Flu Death Of 202223 Season
Virginia reports first child flu death of 202223 season
The Virginia Department of Health reported the state’s first pediatric flu death of the 202223 season.
The Virginia Department of Health reported the state’s first pediatric flu death of the 202223 season.
The child, who was described only as being between five and 12 years old and living in Virginia’s southwest region, died from complications associated with influenza, officials said.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the family of this child,” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH in a statement. “Flu can be a very dangerous illness. With Virginia and many other states experiencing high or very high levels of flu activity, I urge everyone who is eligible to receive the flu vaccine to do so as soon as possible, consulting your physician as needed. While we can never stop all cases of flu, the best way to reduce your risk is to get the vaccine, which is available to anyone over 6 months of age.”
Health officials say Virginia is experiencing early and very high flu activity this year compared to previous flu seasons. Emergency department and urgent care center visits for flu-like illness are also very high.
Last year, Virginia only reported one influenza-associated death among children for the entire flu season.
The Virginia Department of Health recommends:
– Everyone 6 months & older should receive a yearly flu vaccine
How Can You Prepare For Flu Season
Fortunately, there’s a way to build up immunity and protect yourself ahead of flu season: the seasonal flu vaccine, which the CDC recommends for everyone ages 6 months and older.
Its more important this year to get the flu shot than it has been in the prior couple of years, said Lighter.
The flu shot is widely available, free under most health insurance plans and safe. According to the CDC, getting a yearly flu shot is recommended as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses” and it also reduces the burden of flu illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Before the pandemic, influenza sickened millions of people and caused anywhere from 10,000 to 52,000 deaths in the U.S. every year during flu season, said Pekosz. Its not something that is insignificant in terms of how much danger it poses to the population, Pekosz added.
All of the flu shots for the 2022-2023 season are quadrivalent, meaning they protect against four different flu viruses, per the CDC. These strains are chosen based on what experts predict will circulate during flu season, Ko said, and updated each year to provide the best protection possible.
They have some data from Australia and over 94% of the strains that were identified in individuals infected with flu were captured in the updated flu vaccine. So it seems like a very good match, Lighter said. However, we wont be able to tell for sure until after the season ends and we get more data, Lighter added.
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How Can Eligible Populations Receive Their Booster At Cvs Pharmacy Or Minuteclinic
Patients interested in receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 booster are strongly encouraged to make an appointment on the CVS website or MinuteClinic website. Advanced scheduling is recommended for patients looking to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from a specific manufacturer to ensure that it is available at the clinic of their choice. At this time, each participating CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic is offering either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine. Same-day or walk-in vaccination appointments may be possible but are subject to local demand.
Is Parental Consent Required For Patients Ages 12
Yes, a parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration on the CVS website for minors seeking the COVID-19 vaccine. An adult must accompany children ages 12 15 to the appointment at CVS Pharmacy, but does not need to accompany teens ages 16 and older, unless required by local or state law.
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How Much Is A Flu Shot
Flu immunizations are free with most insurance. There is no co-payment unless required by your insurance plan.
*Free flu shots with most insurance. No co-payment unless required by your plan.
**10% off a grocery purchase up to $200 with any immunization. Restrictions apply. Visit pharmacy for details.
+Offer not valid for beneficiaries of state and federal healthcare programs, residents of AR, OR, IA, IL, IN, NJ, or NY, or if otherwise prohibited by law. Additional restrictions apply. Visit pharmacy for details.
How Effective Is The Flu Shot
The efficacy of seasonal flu vaccines varies from year to year but recent studies show that it can reduce the risk of flu illness by 40-60% when most of the virus strains in the vaccine are match the strains circulating that season, according to the CDC.
There is evidence that it can reduce the severity of illness if you do happen to get infected after getting vaccinated and prevent flu-related complications in individuals with chronic health conditions, according to the CDC.
It keeps people out of the hospital and then a secondary effect is that it reduces the number of cases of influenza that are present in the vaccinated populations, said Pekosz. This can also help reduce the burden on healthcare systems, Ko added.
We dont have data on the efficacy of the flu vaccine for this upcoming 2022-23 flu season yet, Lighter pointed out, but this will become available towards the end or after the season.
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Are Any Of The Available Flu Vaccines Recommended Over Others
Yes, for some people. For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-DoseQuadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years.
How Is Cvs Health Prepared To Deal With Possible Allergic Reactions To The Vaccine
CVS Health immunizers are trained in the safe administration of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use by the FDA, including identifying and treating allergic reactions. The vaccination procedures include a patient screening checklist to assess the risk of reaction. All patients are monitored for 15 minutes after administration injection, or longer for people with a history of severe allergic reactions. Our immunizers are equipped with appropriate medications, such as epinephrine and antihistamines. Further information on COVID-19 Vaccines and allergic reactions can be found here
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What Kind Of Protection Does The Flu Vaccine Offer
According to the CDC, the flu vaccine can reduce your chance of getting the flu by 40 percent to 60 percent. It goes on to say that there are two primary elements that influence whether or not the flu vaccine will protect you from getting sick with the flu. These considerations include the person’s characteristics, such as age and health, as well as how well the current season’s vaccines “match” the flu viruses circulating in the population.
How Long Does The Flu Shot Last & Why Do I Need It Every Year
A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, a persons immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection.
Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually and are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season.
For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually.
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When Should I Get Vaccinated Against Flu
For most people who need only one dose of flu vaccine for the season, September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against flu. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. Additional considerations concerning the timing of vaccination for certain groups of people include:
- Most adults, especially those 65 years and older, and pregnant people in the first or second trimester should generally not get vaccinated early because protection may decrease over time. However, early vaccination can be considered for any person who is unable to return at a later time to be vaccinated.
- Some children need two doses of flu vaccine. For those children it is recommended to get the first dose as soon as vaccine is available, because the second dose needs to be given at least four weeks after the first. Vaccination during July and August also can be considered for children who need only one dose.
- Vaccination during July and August also can be considered for people who are in the third trimester of pregnancy during those months, because this can help protect their infants for the first few months after birth .
The Recommended Interval Between First And Second Doses Of The Mrna Covid
New data indicate that some people ages 12 through 64 yearsand especially males ages 12 through 39 yearswould benefit from getting their second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose eight weeks after receiving their first dose. Extending the time interval between primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses from the FDA-approved or authorized three weeks or four weeks to eight weeks may help increase how long protection lasts against COVID-19.
Its important to note this update does not apply to everyone. The 3-week or 4-week interval is still recommended for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, adults ages 65 years and older, and others who may need early protection due to concern about an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or high levels of community transmission. People ages 12 years and older who are moderate or severely immunocompromised should receive three doses in their mRNA primary vaccine series and should receive a booster dose with an mRNA vaccine at least three months after completing their third primary series dose.
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