When Should I Receive a Flu Shot (Influenza Vaccine)

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/09/15 - Updated: 2019/12/13
Category Topic: Influenza and Colds - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Information on who and when you should get a influenza vaccine or flu shot including side effects and risks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who are at risk for serious complications from the flu be vaccinated each year.

Introduction

Although you can get a flu shot well into flu season, it's best to try to get it earlier rather than later.

Main Content

In the Northern Hemisphere the flu (Medically referred to as influenza) season generally runs from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March, but the flu, or anti-flu, vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November.

The flu is highly infectious and is a serious viral respiratory infection and every year in the United States, on average:

5% to 20% of the population gets the flu

About 36,000 people die from the flu or its complications.

More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications.

Flu vaccines are routinely available for seasonal influenza, but these vaccines are not likely to be protective against the H1N1 Virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who are at risk for serious complications from the flu be vaccinated each year.

Adults with asthma are at high risk of developing complications after contracting the influenza virus, as respiratory infections like influenza are more serious in patients with asthma, and such infections can often lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.

There are two types of seasonal flu vaccines, the injection (with killed virus) and nasal spray vaccines (containing live, but weakened, virus).

• 1 - The "flu shot", an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
• 2 - The nasal-spray flu vaccine, a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Who SHOULD Receive the Flu Vaccine?

• Pregnant women
• Everyone 50 years of age or older
• Children aged 6 months to 18 years old
• Police, firefighters, and other public safety workers
• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of anyone in any of the high-risk groups
• Children and adolescents (aged 6 months to 18 years) receiving long-term aspirin therapy
• Residents of nursing homes and other facilities that care for people with chronic medical conditions
• Persons who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others
• Health care workers and other employees of hospitals, nursing homes, and chronic care and other outpatient facilities who care for patients
• Those planning to travel to the tropics at any time or to the Southern Hemisphere from April through September who did not receive a flu vaccine the previous year
• People who have chronic lung or heart disorders, and/or chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, severe anemia, or immune deficiency (including HIV/AIDS)

Who Should NOT Get a Flu Shot?

• Anyone with a fever
• Infants under 6 months old
• Anyone who has ever had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination.
• Anyone with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare condition that affects the immune system and nerves
• People severely allergic to eggs and egg products (ingredients for flu shots are grown inside eggs, so tell your doctor if your child is allergic to eggs or egg products before he or she gets a flu shot)

When Should You Get the Yearly Influenza Vaccine?

The viruses that cause influenza change often, and protection declines within a year after vaccination.

People who need the vaccine should get it every year.

The vaccine begins to protect you after 1 to 2 weeks and protection may last up to one year.

What are the Risks from the Influenza Vaccine?

There is a very small risk that serious problems, even death, could occur after taking the vaccine.

The risk from the vaccine is much smaller than the risk from the disease.

Serious problems from the flu vaccine are rare.

Side effects from the flu vaccine may include: soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given; fever; aches and pains.

More information on the Types of Flu Shot Reactions.

How Effective is the Flu Shot?

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine is dependent upon the extent of the match between the virus strains used to prepare the vaccine and those viruses in actual circulation.

The age and health status of the individual also play a role in determining the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) often will recommend that certain high-risk groups be given priority when flu shot supplies are limited.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.