what is the best month to get a flu shot?
(CNN)Flu season and public health experts' calls to go your flu shot come around every year, merely it'due south more of import now than always.
"What you should do is get it as soon as you can and in the most expeditious manner," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Establish of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer Monday.
A potentially early and astringent influenza season could consequence from relaxed pandemic prophylactic measures and the population's reduced immunity to the flu after months of avoiding situations where viruses tin can spread, the U.s. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
Flu season typically lasts from October to May in the Northern Hemisphere, and from April to September in the Southern Hemisphere, according to the CDC. The best time to get a influenza vaccine -- which reduces the risk of serious flu-related disease, hospitalization or death -- is any time between September and the end of October, the CDC suggests.
"People who are older, with compromised immune systems, may have waning amnesty, and then sometimes are (advised not) to become their flu vaccines as well early," said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency medico and visiting professor of wellness policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
"All the same, 'too early' generally refers to August. October -- essentially now -- is entirely fine for these individuals to get vaccinated."
Fifty-fifty if flu activity is low in your customs right at present, yous shouldn't wait for a surge in cases to be the reason you get a influenza shot. Flu activity could increase at whatever time, co-ordinate to the CDC. "Remember, after you are vaccinated, your body takes nigh two weeks to develop any antibodies that protect against flu," the CDC noted.
Getting your flu shot now can also help lessen the burden the health intendance system is facing as the pandemic continues. Some states -- including Alabama, Georgia and Texas -- have been running extremely low on intensive care unit capacity. (People with the influenza tin can get sick enough to become to the hospital; during the 2019-2020 flu season there were 405,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths among children and adults combined, according to the CDC.)
This "can complicate the provision of medical care, including influenza treatment. We want to forestall every influenza infection possible to keep patients out of hospitals and other potential COVID-xix exposures in healthcare," said Dr. David J. Cennimo, the associate primary of staff of education at VA New Jersey Health Care System, via electronic mail. Cennimo is too an acquaintance professor of medicine and pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Hither's what else y'all should know about getting your influenza vaccine this season during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Exercise I need a flu shot if I'm vaccinated against Covid-xix?
Some people think getting a influenza or coronavirus vaccine reduces risks for both viruses, but that'south not the case, since these are different viruses, Wen said. Therefore, "getting a flu vaccine is the best protection confronting influenza and its potentially serious complications, and getting a COVID-nineteen vaccine is the best protection against COVID-19," the CDC said.
This year's influenza vaccines are designed to protect against the four different flu viruses that enquiry has indicated will be most ordinarily circulating, according to the CDC. Since at that place are many flu viruses that constantly change, the makeup of US flu vaccines is reviewed yearly and updated equally needed.
Who can get a flu shot?
People ages 6 months and older should get a licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine or nasal spray influenza vaccine before the end of October, according to the CDC. Unless your doctor advises otherwise, you shouldn't filibuster vaccination for a specific vaccine product if another age-appropriate vaccine is bachelor.
Where tin I go a flu shot?
In addition to the offices of physicians, including pediatricians, you tin get a flu vaccine many places, including local health departments, pharmacies, and sometimes your workplace or that of an firsthand family member.
Can I get a flu shot and Covid-19 vaccine simultaneously?
Yous can get a flu vaccine and a Covid-xix vaccine at the same time, the CDC and other experts have said, which wasn't the example last year. Whether this besides goes for third doses and booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines, also, hasn't been publicly addressed by the CDC'due south Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Cennimo said.
One reason why last year was different is because Covid-19 vaccines "were only authorized in Dec," Wen said.
Also, they "were being actively studied for side effects," Cennimo explained, and "the guidance to separate COVID (vaccines) from any other vaccine by fourteen days was issued to allow any adverse furnishings to be accurately attributed to the vaccine. If yous gave two vaccines together, you wouldn't know which acquired the problem.
"The data accept evolved, and the vaccines are incredibly prophylactic," he added. "This increased the comfort using them and then we can give them with other vaccines now and not worry."
Whether getting both vaccines at the same time could cause worse symptoms depends on the person and how they tend to react to vaccinations, Wen said. "People who might be especially worried could cull to space out their vaccines, just know that that'south not necessary to exercise, and that'south actually simply based on your individual comfort."
If you do get both vaccines together, you'll nevertheless demand to follow your Covid-19 vaccine schedule to become fully vaccinated, which means getting your 2nd dose of Pfizer three weeks later, or 2nd dose of Moderna iv weeks later.
If I article of clothing a mask and practice concrete distancing, should I nonetheless go a flu shot?
Even if you wear a mask and physically altitude yourself from others, getting vaccinated confronting the flu and Covid-xix is still the all-time way to protect yourself and others, according to the CDC.
"Every individual intervention makes a difference, but the layers together are what protect us the most," Wen said. "Call back virtually the winter -- y'all clothing multiple layers. ... Vaccination is also a powerful and important additional tool, and particularly of import when nosotros're in the eye of a raging pandemic and when it comes to influenza, a virus that spreads hands and kills tens of thousands of people every year. Nosotros should do everything we tin can to prevent further illness, suffering and death."
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/health/flu-shot-influenza-covid-booster-2021-wellness/index.html
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