Seasonal Flu Facts
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 influenza infection 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. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu.
WHO SHOULD GET VACCINATED?
For the 2021-2022 flu season, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. Vaccination to prevent flu is particularly important for people who are at high risk of developing serious flu complications. For example, flu vaccination has been shown in separate studies to be associated with reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease.
WHEN SHOULD I GET VACCINATED?
You should get a flu vaccine before flu begins spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. According to the CDC, September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against the flu. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season.
DOES THE FLU SHOT INCREASE YOUR RISK OF GETTING COVID-19?
There is no evidence that getting a flu vaccination raises your risk of getting sick from COVID-19. It’s important to do everything possible to reduce illness and preserve scarce health care resources. Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time, including a COVID-19 booster shot