When should I get the flu shot? Here’s what experts say
Medical experts are urging the public to get flu vaccinations early this season, noting that while vaccines do not guarantee immunity, they significantly reduce the risk of severe illness. The guidance comes as the CDC faces legal challenges, leading medical associations to step in with their own recommendations.
Why it matters
Timely vaccination is critical for public health, particularly for vulnerable populations, to prevent hospitalizations and deaths during the respiratory virus season.
Should you get your flu shot with a Covid vaccine? Here’s the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medical experts urge getting a flu vaccination soon, before influenza starts spreading widely — and to get up to date on protection against other fall respiratory viruses, too. Updated COVID-19 shots are available now, plus shots for people especially vulnerable to another winter risk called RSV.
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While these infections make many people feel miserable for a few days before they recover, every year flu alone causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations in the U.S. and kills tens of thousands.
Vaccination isn’t “a guarantee that we’re going to prevent illness. But just like the seat belt in your car, it decreases risk” of the worst outcomes, said Dr. Ryan Stanton of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
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