The reason for this is to ensure complete immunity ahead of the busy holiday season, from Halloween trick-or-treating to holiday travel to Thanksgiving and more, Chin-Hong said.
Vaccines “not only protect you from severe illness, hospitalization and death, but also provide a small buffer against infection itself,” Chin-Hong said. “So if you want to feel safe while doing these things, it’s probably a good idea to have your antibodies peak around the time when people are congregating again.”
Get a flu shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that last year’s influenza pandemic killed between 17,000 and 100,000 people and hospitalized up to 900,000 people. Chin-Hong said influenza epidemics typically start in November and peak around January or February.
The CDC recommends that everyone six months of age and older receive the flu vaccine annually, “ideally by the end of October.” Chin-Hong told KQED that the “best time” to get vaccinated is “just before Halloween,” but if flu cases start to increase earlier than that, people should get the flu shot even sooner. He said we should hurry.
Can I get the COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations at the same time?
Yes, it is perfectly safe to get the flu shot at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine. Many pharmacies are accepting reservations for multiple vaccines at the same time.
Note: If you’re trying to schedule your child’s vaccinations, the CDC recommends the best schedule for COVID-19 and influenza vaccines (and now the preventive vaccine, respiratory syncytial virus) in 2023. It was recommended that children first consult their pediatrician. treatment).
I contracted the coronavirus during the summer. Do I still need the COVID-19 vaccination?
Yes, said Mr. Chinhong. However, please be careful not to get vaccinated immediately after contracting the coronavirus.
The reason for this is that “the force field generally persists for about three months after being infected with the new coronavirus,” during which time the infection provides sufficient levels of immunity to become infected with the new coronavirus again. Chin-Hong said this means that they will be able to obtain the following:
That said, this immunity does weaken, so having “a little bit of a buffer” is something to consider, Chin-Hong says. This means that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 even after two months “may not be a bad idea if it coincides with the expected resurgence of the coronavirus.” .
Where can I get a COVID-19 and influenza vaccination?
For more information on how to find the latest 2024 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) shots, check out our guide. If you have health insurance, the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine should be fully covered.
