Should I still get the flu shot if I got the COVID vaccine? Answers to questions
We are now in our second flu season of the coronavirus pandemic, but this will be our first flu season where we also have COVID vaccines.
The confluence of the two vaccines raises questions among some about whether they really need both shots, and about the safety of getting both shots at the same time.
Also, we could be in for a more serious flu season this year, compared to last year. We had record-low flu-related deaths last year, thanks in large part to people wearing masks and spending most of flu season working (and socializing) from home. This year, even with the recent delta variant surge, most people are out and about much more than they were last year, so getting a flu shot this year is important.
We talked to Dr. Anita Skariah, UNC Health internist and pediatrician, to get answers to some of the questions we’re seeing about flu shots and COVID vaccines.
In what month should I get the flu shot?
Skariah says the time to start thinking about getting the flu shot is now.
“Typically we recommend vaccinating for influenza September through October to be proactive, but you can continue to do so throughout flu season,” Skariah said.
“It takes a few weeks to make antibodies once vaccinated, and the efficacy does diminish after six months. This is why we recommend obtaining the vaccine in September or October. In the past, we typically have seen increased influenza cases in October, increasing as the winter progresses and into early spring.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza activity usually begins to increase in October, peaking between December and February (although flu season can last as late as May).
Do I need the flu shot if I’ve had the COVID vaccine?
Yes, the viruses are different and so are the vaccines.
Skariah explains: “It’s important to obtain the flu vaccine even if you have received the COVID vaccine. Neither will protect from the other — the flu vaccine will not protect you against Sars Co-V and the COVID vaccines will not protect you against influenza.
“Both are potentially deadly diseases that are preventable with vaccinations.”
Will the flu shot interfere in any way with the COVID vaccine?
Skariah: “No, it should not interfere in any way with the COVID vaccine.
“In the past, the CDC had recommended waiting 14 days between COVID vaccines and any other vaccines but now they feel this is unnecessary based on the evidence.”
Could the flu shot give me the flu?
This is a worry we hear every flu season, but Skariah says that the flu shot cannot give you the flu.
“It is not a live vaccine unless you are given an intra-nasal (nasal spray) formulation, but even the live vaccine cannot cause influenza,” Skariah said. “Flu vaccines are made with killed virus or only a protein from the flu virus.”
How will I feel after getting a flu shot? Are there side effects?
You could feel bad after getting the flu shot, the same way you may have felt a reaction to the COVID vaccine. That’s normal — but it’s not the flu.
“Sometimes after a vaccine you may mount a low grade fever, feel tired, or feel like you are ‘coming down with something,’” Skariah said. “That is actually your immune system’s complex signaling system telling your body to fight off a potential invader. This is how the body builds up antibodies so that if you ever do encounter influenza your body is already armed and ready to fight it off.”
Who should get a flu shot? Is there any reason not to?
Unless you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to the flu shot in the past, it is recommended that everyone six months old and older get the flu shot, Skariah said.
“The only contraindication is if you had a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine prior,” Skariah said.
Even those with egg allergies who may have previously avoided the flu shot can safely receive the shot now, she said.
“If the egg allergy was more severe than hives, it should be performed in a medical office, so they can monitor you briefly afterwards. There are also egg-free options available this year as well but ask your provider regarding these.”
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 2:17 PM.
