Is it too late to get a flu shot? How might it interfere with the COVID-19 vaccine?
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Please see an updated version of this story from August 2021: Should I still get the flu shot if I got the COVID vaccine? Answers to questions.]
If you neglected to get your flu shot this year, it’s not too late — but some attention should be paid to the timing when planning for your COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. David Weber, a professor of medicine, pediatrics and epidemiology at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, points out that flu season usually lasts until April or May, so there’s still time to get the shot.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that the flu vaccine is more important than ever this year, because it not only protects you and the people around you from getting the flu, but fewer cases of the flu also “help reduce the strain on healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
But if you do plan to get the flu shot, Weber says that shot (and any other vaccines) should be separated by at least two weeks, per CDC recommendations.
Dr. Anita Skariah, internist and pediatrician at UNC Health, explains that in clinical trials, “patients who received the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines did not receive any other vaccines at least two weeks prior or two weeks after their series. We want to mimic the conditions as close as possible to the trials to ensure safety and efficacy until we know more.”
Flu cases are down, but it’s ‘still circulating’
The CDC emphasizes that “there is no evidence that getting a flu vaccine increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19.”
As of Jan. 1, the CDC reports that 192.5 million flu vaccines have been distributed for the 2020-2021 flu season in the United States, compared to 174 million the previous season.
The number of reported cases of the flu are “much reduced,” this season, says Weber, “likely due to wearing masks and physical distancing.”
ABC News has reported that data analysts for the drug chain Walgreens suggest that “flu activity, or incidence of flu cases, in November 2020 was approximately 91% lower than in November 2019.” Walgreens has been tracking sales of antiviral medications for flu over the past seven years.
Even so, Skariah says, the flu is still circulating.
“As some folks have traveled during the holidays and some schools are returning in-person, the need for protection against influenza remains.”
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina
North Carolina is currently working on Group 2, vaccinating older adults, age 65 and over, and healthcare workers who come into contact with patients in this group.
You can find more information on how to find your place in the COVID-19 vaccination plan at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 1:35 PM.
