Sign in Subscribe
Influenza

Timing of Flu Vaccination: Experts Weigh in on Scheduling the Shot

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Flu vaccines are recommended to start being administered in the middle of September, but experts advise that getting a shot at the beginning of the season may be too early to provide protection that will last throughout the flu season. This year's vaccines protect against several flu viruses, which can cause severe symptoms, hospitalization, or even death. With approximately 35 million cases of flu nationwide last season, it is essential to get vaccinated on time to minimize the risk of complications.

Key Takeaways:

  • Experts recommend getting vaccinated between mid-September and late October, with the CDC suggesting getting the shot by the end of October at the latest.
  • Typically, immunity peaks a week or two after a flu shot, and the protection lasts for five or six months, which is usually enough to get through the flu season (October to March or April).
  • Pregnant women in their third trimester are advised to get vaccinated now to confer flu immunity on their newborns.
  • Children between 6 months and 8 years old, especially those who have never gotten a flu shot, only received one dose, or have an unknown vaccination history, should receive two flu shots, four weeks apart.
  • Alicia Budd, Team Lead of the Influenza Division at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, recommends that children who need two doses can get their first shot now.
  • If someone misses the flu shot during the recommended window this fall, it is still worth getting vaccinated, as protection late in the season is better than none at all.
  • Deepta Bhattacharya, a professor of immunobiology at the University of Arizona, notes that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted flu season, delaying the start and sharply diminishing the spread of the flu virus from 2020 to 2022.

Statistics:

  • There were approximately 35 million cases of flu nationwide last season.
  • About 400,000 people were hospitalized with flu infections.
  • 25,000 people died from flu infections.
  • Flu season starts to return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Immunity peaks a week or two after a flu shot.
  • Protection from the flu shot lasts for five or six months.
  • Flu season typically begins in October and ends in March or April.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, "The Best Time to Get Your Flu Shot, According to Experts"

- Emily Schmall, c. 2024

Read more