One of the best ways to prepare for health problems caused by cool weather is to make sure you’re up to date on vaccines that help protect against respiratory viruses, including the flu.
Every year, scientists and doctors determine which strains are most likely to circulate and cause illness in people during flu season. Influenza season typically peaks from December to February, but begins in the fall. The composition of the 2024-2025 influenza vaccine has been decided, and pharmacies across the country should have it in stock.
Doctors and health officials typically start recommending influenza vaccines in September, but if you haven’t gotten one yet, it’s never too late. In fact, waiting until now means you’ll typically have to wait until then before influenza activity starts to increase, and during large holiday periods when respiratory viruses such as influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus have an opportunity to circulate more easily. That means there’s still time to get vaccinated before big gatherings.
We would like to inform you about this year’s influenza vaccination.
Who should get the influenza vaccine?
From talking refrigerators to iPhones, our experts can help make the world a little less complex.
According to the CDC, almost everyone over 6 months of age should get the flu vaccine.
The CDC has identified rare cases in people who should not receive the vaccine, such as people who have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past or are severely allergic to ingredients in the flu vaccine (such as gelatin). We make exceptions. He has a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralytic disease.
From talking refrigerators to iPhones, our experts can help make the world a little less complex.
What types of influenza vaccines are there?
The influenza vaccines that will be available this season will be egg-based and cell- or recombinant-based, according to the CDC.
Higher doses of the vaccine have been recommended for people over 60 because severe disease is more common in older people.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, said in an email that older adults should choose “high-dose” or “adjuvanted” vaccines.
In addition to age-based recommendations, nasal influenza vaccines have also not been recommended for pregnant people, as for other adults over age 50.
Another important change so far this year is that the vaccine will be trivalent. This means the vaccine targets three different strains of influenza. Since March 2020, a specific type of influenza (influenza type B/Yamagata virus) has not been prevalent, so we will be transitioning from quadrivalent vaccines (4 types).
The FDA recently approved the first home influenza vaccine for adults under 50 and children 2 and older. This is a nasal vaccine that you can pick up a prescription for at an online pharmacy, but unfortunately it’s not expected to be available until next year’s flu season.
When should I get the influenza vaccine?
It is generally recommended to start getting the flu vaccine in September or October, but you can get it anytime after that. Generally, it takes about two weeks after receiving a flu shot for your body to build up an immune response and mount a defense.
So getting the vaccine now or in early November means it should be fully “introduced” by Thanksgiving time. Thanksgiving will mark the first time many people in the United States will be gathering together in close quarters indoors (and easily present a huge opportunity for further spread of the respiratory virus).
Waiting until at least October may also protect you toward the end of peak flu season, which typically lasts until spring.
“Vaccination (too early) may lead to reduced protection at the end of the season,” Adalja said in late August, adding that he recommends waiting until October to get the influenza vaccine.
