What You Need to Know About Getting a Flu Shot This Fall

Federal health agencies are expected to make substantial changes to vaccine guidance this fall. However, the flu vaccine recommendation remains the same: everyone older than 6 months should get an annual flu shot.

As many as 1.3 million Americans were hospitalized with the flu in the last flu season, and up to 130,000 people died from the disease.

The flu shot is both safe and life-saving, said Aaron Glatt, MD, chair of the department of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital.

Here’s what you need to know as you prepare for your flu shot this year.

Who’s Eligible for the Flu Shot This Year?

There are no differences in who can get a flu vaccine this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends it for all people ages 6 months or older, with rare exceptions.

The CDC’s changes to COVID-10 vaccine recommendations don’t apply to flu vaccines. The agency’s advisory panel is scheduled to meet in late September to discuss routine vaccines against COVID and other diseases, but not the flu vaccine.

When Should You Get the Flu Shot?

The vaccines are available now in many pharmacies, clinics, and doctors’ offices across the country. Flu cases typically pick up in October and peak in February, though that varies by year and region.

Glatt said it’s wise to get your flu shot sooner rather than later to ensure you’re protected when flu rears its head in your community. 

“You should have very good immunity in September that will last you through the flu season. Waiting until October isn’t necessarily a dangerous thing if there’s no flu around, but you probably want to have immunity when flu comes to your region,” Glatt said.

He added that it’s still worthwhile to get the flu shot even if you haven’t gotten one by the end of October. Flu circulates in most places until April, and it’s helpful to be protected through the winter and early spring. 

Can You Get It the Same Time as Your COVID Shot?

Since the COVID vaccines debuted in 2021, the CDC and medical groups have said that people can safely get the COVID and flu shots at the same time without diminishing their effectiveness.

In a late August memo, the FDA’s top vaccine official said he “cannot affirm” that co-administering the vaccines is safe and effective and that the agency would start requiring vaccine makers to run clinical trials before making that claim.

Joseph Bresee, MD, director of respiratory virus prevention and preparedness at The Task Force for Global Health, said that there is sound evidence that the practice is safe and people should feel comfortable getting their COVID and flu shots in the same visit while the FDA collects more data.

“More importantly, the ability to get vaccines together during the same visit creates an opportunity to expand the reach of these vaccines,” Bresee told Verywell. “If you make folks come back for one vaccine and then another vaccine in two weeks, you may lose some folks and miss the opportunity to get them vaccinated.”

How Much Will the Flu Shot Cost?

If you have health insurance, the flu vaccine should be free to you. Insurers are required to cover all vaccines recommended by the CDC’s advisory panel.

If you are uninsured, the cost for a shot at a pharmacy could be as low as $20 or over $100. Many cities offer low- or no-cost vaccines to people without insurance at public health clinics.

Can You Get a Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Instead?

You can now order the FluMist nasal spray vaccine to be delivered to your home. This allows caretakers to give the vaccine or for people to self-administer without visiting a pharmacy or doctor’s office.

The nasal spray is safe and effective for people ages 2 to 49 years old who are not pregnant or immunocompromised.

“It’s a nice option for people who have trouble getting to the doctor or the clinic, who are homebound for whatever reason,” Bresee said. “Many of those people are at higher risk for severe disease because they have underlying illnesses, and that’s the reason they can’t leave the house as easily.”

How Effective Is the Flu Shot?

We won’t know exactly how effective this year’s flu vaccine is until around February.

That’s because the flu vaccine formula changes every year based on predictions from global health experts about which viral strains will circulate in the upcoming season. When the strains are well matched, the vaccine is usually between 40% and 60% effective at preventing severe illness and death from flu.

“It’s important to realize that getting the flu vaccine doesn’t mean that you won’t get the flu,” Glatt said. “Get vaccinated: if you do get the flu, you’ll probably have a much milder episode. It certainly has been shown that it prevents hospitalizations, it prevents serious illness, and it prevents death.”

The FDA recently expanded eligibility for the Flublok vaccine, a recombinant flu vaccine, to people as young as 9 years old.

Flublok uses a different technology than standard flu vaccines, which has been shown to be more effective in older adults. The CDC says all the options available for people younger than 65 are similarly effective.

What Are the Side Effects of the Flu Vaccine?

“Flu vaccines are very, very safe vaccines. They’ve been given hundreds of millions of times over decades, and the most common side effects are locally sore arms or a little redness around for about 24 hours,” Bresee said. “Otherwise, they’re very safe, and we shouldn’t expect any new side effects popping up this year.”

Anyone who has had significant allergic reactions to the flu or other vaccines in the past should talk to a health care provider before getting the shot. Otherwise, the vaccine is safe for just about everyone.

“Your doctor is your best source of information. He knows you. He knows your history,” Glatt said. “The CDC, professional society websites, and the Department of Health remain, at this point in time, excellent resources for information.”