Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guide: Flu Vaccine ‘Doubly Important’ This Year
The message is clear: Get a flu shot. The United States is preparing for a terrible flu season in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. On Thursday, US public health experts appealed to vaccinate against both. (October 7)
AP
Flu season approaches as the coronavirus pandemic continues and families across the country are looking for fevers, traffic jams and other symptoms.
If you’re planning to get a flu shot, you may be wondering: Can I get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time?
Health officials, doctors, and medical providers in the United States know that you can safely get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.
“The good news is that you can get both vaccines at the same time or in close proximity to each other. Dr. Lisa Marajakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Health System, tells USA TODAY.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.
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Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time?
the interview US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, You or others who want the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine can get them at the same visit to your doctor’s office or pharmacy. This applies regardless of whether you receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, your second dose, or a booster dose.
When the COVID-19 vaccine was first distributed, Marajakis said, officials recommended “separating the vaccine from other vaccines for two weeks.”
“But it has since been verified and we now know that it is safe for you to have other vaccines,” she said.
Dr. said. Priya Sampathkumar, chief of infection prevention and control at Mayo Clinic, USA TODAY.
“They have now changed the recommendation so that you can get other vaccines at the same time as the COVID vaccine,” she said.
Marajakis found that children in the doctor’s office often received multiple vaccinations at the same time.
“What we do know is that these vaccines are actually designed to stimulate the immune system and stimulate the immune response to substances in the vaccines that help the body fight individual infectious diseases,” she said.
“The immune system will rev up and two or three, no matter how many vaccinations you get on the same day, the materials will work in different ways to teach the immune system how to fight this pathogen,” Marajakis added.
Would the side effects be worse if you received the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time?
This depends on the person. Some people experience side effects from the COVID-19 flu vaccine.
But Sampathkumar explained that if you’re experiencing side effects like pain or fatigue from the injections, “going through them at the same time would make more sense.”
“Personally, I recently got an injection at the same time, my booster flu shot,” she said. “You have to decide if you have these symptoms for 48 hours or all at the same time.”
“As we know, most people can handle this,” she added.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Possible side effects are generally similar whether the vaccines are given alone or with other vaccines.
Sampathkumar advised patients not to be affected by the possible side effects of giving both injections at the same time.
“It’s easy to forget a thing or two when you decide to separate them,” she said. “So if you choose one when the other is available, we recommend getting it at the same time. With the best intentions, you might plan to come back at another time, but life interferes.”
Flu Vaccines: When should I get one? What about COVID Booster? All you need to know.
Do I need a flu shot?
Experts say it is especially important To get a flu shot this year.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the next flu season, and I’d say we’re hoping for the best, but we’re planning for the worst,” Marajakis said.
The United States had a milder flu season last year, but Sampathkumar partly attributed that to people taking measures to prevent COVID-19 infection, such as avoiding large gatherings, frequent hand washing and wearing face masks.
“This year, as COVID cases begin to decline, we fear that the flu will have an even greater impact as people lose vigilance about wearing masks and not gathering in large numbers,” she said.
“We often see heavier flu seasons that follow the light seasons and we think that’s likely because our immunity wanes somewhat in a year when we don’t get a lot of flu,” Marajakis added.
Southern hemisphere countries have had a largely mild flu season this year, but that doesn’t guarantee that the United States and other northern hemisphere countries will follow the same pattern.
Regardless, health authorities are urging all authorized persons to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and vaccinate against COVID-19 as soon as possible. Center for Disease Control Recommend annual flu shots for anyone over 6 months old, With rare exceptions.
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