When should you get a flu shot? Here’s what to know about flu season during COVID-19

With the coronavirus still running rampant in the U.S., health experts say it’s important to get the flu vaccine this season in order to prevent overwhelming hospitals.

“I think this fall nothing can be more important than to try to increase the American public’s decision to embrace flu vaccine with confidence,” Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the editor of JAMA on Thursday.

“I think this is a critical year for us to try to take flu as much off the table as we can, as a respiratory pathogen that’s going to cause people to be sick enough to have to go into the hospital,” he said.

Redfield said his biggest fear is that “our hospital capacity could get strained.”

The Department of Health and Human Services expanded vaccinations on Wednesday to allow pharmacists to give flu shots to children during the corornavirus pandemic.

When should you get vaccinated?

Dr. Susan Rehm, vice chair at the Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Infectious Diseases, told USA Today that patients should get the flu shot as soon as they are made available.

“My understanding is that they should be available in late August, early September nationwide,” Rehm said.

The CDC recommends getting the vaccinein September or October. Since it takes your body two weeks to create antibodies after vaccination, getting the shot too early — such as in August — could result in less protection against the virus later on in the flu season, especially for older adults.

Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy will administer flu shots with coronavirus precautions in place.

Walgreens expects to give 50% more flu shots than usual this year and CVS plans to vaccinate up to 18 million people, Bloomberg reported.

Who should get the shot?

CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older to get the flu shot.

Massachusetts health officials said Wednesday that the flu vaccine will be mandated for most students age 6 months and older by Dec. 31 unless there is a religious or medical exemption. It applies to students attending preschool, state child care, kindergarten, grade school, and universities and colleges.

The CDC is encouraging essential workers, people at-risk for severe illness from the coronavirus, and people at-risk for severe complications from influenza, including children with neurologic conditions, to get the shot.

Will there be a shortage or delay?

There are no delays expected in getting the flu vaccine out this season, but the time it takes to distribute and product them will take longer due to the record number of vaccines, the CDC said.

The CDC has purchased an additional 2 million flu shots for children and 9.3 million doses for adults.

What is the high-dose flu shot?

The Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent shot is licensed for people 65 years and older and contains four times the antigen — which helps fortify protection against the flu — than the Fluzone Quadrivalent and other standard-dose vaccines.

A New England Journal of Medicineexternal study found the higher-dose shot was 24.2% more effective in protecting against the flu for adults 65 years and older than the standard vaccine.

Should you get the shot if you think you have COVID-19?

Vaccination should be postponed if you have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, even if you don’t have symptoms, according to the CDC. Getting the shot should be deferred in order to prevent healthcare professionals and other patients from getting infected with COVID-19.

Will the flu vaccine protect against COVID-19?

The flu shot is ineffective againstthe coronavirus.

“We don’t want to confuse people of that … because there’s simply no data,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt Medical Center told USA Today. “Flu vaccine prevents flu; we’re working on a coronavirus vaccine. They’re separate.”

Besides being preventative, the flu vaccine also decreases the risk of hospitalization and and death with those who are infected with influenza, according to the CDC.

Can you get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time?

It’s possible to get sick with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, but experts are still assessing how common it is, according to the CDC.

The CDC has created a test that will determine if you have seasonal flu and the coronavirus at the same time. The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for the test.

How do you safely get a flu shot during the pandemic?

When getting a flu shot, the CDC recommends practicing regular preventative measures against COVID-19, according to hand washing, wear face coverings, and avoiding close contact.

Doctor’s offices, health departments, and pharmacies will be offering the flu vaccine, according to the CDC. You can also use VaccineFinder.org to find nearby locations.

This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 1:05 PM with the headline "When should you get a flu shot? Here’s what to know about flu season during COVID-19."