When should I get the flu vaccination?
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Autumn has arrived. influenza vaccinationBut when is the best time to get the jab?
Ideally, it is recommended that you get vaccinated before influenza starts circulating in your community. However, it is not possible to predict exactly when the flu season will begin. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (opens in new tab)For this reason, the CDC recommends people: People who are eligible to receive the flu vaccine—generally those over the age of 6 months— Get it in September or October, preferably before Halloween starts, as the flu usually isn’t circulating in these early falls yet. It reaches its peak in February. According to the CDC (opens in new tab).
After being vaccinated, you are not immediately protected. It takes about two weeks for your body to build immunity to the flu.
If you cannot vaccinate by the end of October, we recommend that you vaccinate later in the season. According to the CDC, flu activity in the US may continue until he May.
Related: Which flu shot should I get?
However, there are indications that the flu season may start early this year in the United States, based on what has been seen in the Southern Hemisphere, which experiences flu season in the winter (summer in the Northern Hemisphere). For example, the Australian flu season usually peaks between July and he in September, but this year flu activity increased in April and he peaked in May and he peaked in June. did. UC Healtha non-profit health care system in Colorado.
Influenza activity is already high in some US states. As of late September, Texas and Georgia are reporting moderate levels of influenza activity, and the District of Columbia is reporting very high influenza activity. According to the CDC (opens in new tab).
Influenza vaccination level of protection against influenza declines over time — 2017 study published in the journal clinical infection (opens in new tab) Influenza vaccine effectiveness declined by approximately 6% to 11% per month, but some protection was maintained for 5 to 6 months after vaccination.
CDC recommends that most adults do not get vaccinated in July or August because protection is weakening. However, there are some exceptions, such as pregnant women in the third trimester, who may consider vaccination in July or August to pass protective antibodies to the baby after birth. Additionally, some children need her two doses of flu vaccine four weeks apart. end of October, According to the CDC (opens in new tab)(According to the CDC, children who need two doses include those aged 6 months to 8 years who are getting their first flu shot and those who have only had one flu shot.) included.)
In addition to the flu vaccine, there is another vaccine available to the general public this fall. It is currently the recommended COVID-19 bivalent booster shot for people 12 years and older. According to the CDC, if you want to save time and get both your flu shot and his COVID-19 booster at the same time, you can safely do so. You may be slightly more likely to experience systemic side effects such as fatigue and muscle aches if you take both injections at the same time, but these side effects are mild and tend to resolve quickly. Live Science previously reported.
Originally published in Live Science.
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