Roll Up Your Sleeve for the Flu Shot!

At the family practice, nurse Anna reports that the phone has been ringing off the hook—similar to last year, patients have been calling to ask about the flu shot since the beginning of September. Usually, the questions don’t even start until October and there have rarely been so many people interested.

Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that everyone six months of age and older, with very rare exceptions, should get an annual influenza vaccine, more commonly referred to as the flu shot.

The flu shot protects against influenza and prevents severe illness. The groups at higher risk for complications associated with the flu include:

• adults over the age of 65
• young children
• people with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease
• people with compromised immune systems due to medical conditions (such as AIDS or specific types of cancer) or people receiving certain medical treatments (such as chemotherapy) 

This is not a comprehensive list. If you or your loved one have any concerns regarding the risk level and the benefits of a flu shot, talk to your doctor.

Why Should I get the Flu Shot?

According to the CDC, studies have shown that the influenza vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and doctor visits each year. It has also been proven to prevent hospitalizations and thousands of deaths annually. 

Furthermore, if you get the shot, you are protecting others since it lowers the chance of spreading the illness. Even if you are not at high risk and are not concerned for your own health, you can protect your community and family by rolling up your sleeve to get the shot.

Last Year’s Flu Season

The lockdowns of the pandemic helped keep us healthy over the past couple of years. There were mild cold and flu seasons since people were staying at home, wearing masks, washing their hands diligently and social distancing. We were doing these things to protect ourselves and our communities from COVID-19, but we also prevented the spread of other germs and viruses.

In addition to the layers of protection from COVID protocols, the demand for the flu shot increased drastically in the first year of the pandemic. No one knew how influenza and COVID would interact so there was more interest in all safeguards available.

After a couple of years of mild flu seasons, experts are now concerned that we will face significantly more cases as we have stopped many of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID.

This Flu Season

One of the ways epidemiologists predict what will happen with the flu is to look at what has happened in the Southern hemisphere during their flu season. However, the data from the past year has been confusing—a severe flu season in Australia ended early as Omicron cases increased and South Africa had an unusual surge of cases in the summer. This uncertainty makes it difficult to prepare for the flu season in the Northern hemisphere.

Doctors are also concerned about vaccine fatigue. We’ve been getting shots every few months and some people are, understandably, getting fed up. That said, the flu shot—and your next COVID booster—offer invaluable protection against severe respiratory illnesses.

Is it Safe to Get the Flu Shot at the Same Time as a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Initially, the CDC recommended that there be 14 days between receiving the COVID shot and any other vaccination. If you’re due for your COVID booster, or are getting your first dose, you no longer need to worry about this. The CDC says you can get both shots at the same time. They will provide the same level of protection and any side effects will not be worse.

Anna is concerned that we are entering an unusual flu season and we can’t be sure what to expect. She is glad patients are calling to ask about the vaccine but she also hears a lot of complaints about “another shot!” Anna was encouraged last year when so many patients got the flu shot. She hopes that this year just as many will roll up their sleeves to do everything they can to protect themselves and their loved ones from any respiratory illnesses.