It may be bad to think of any disease other than COVID-19 now, but flu shots are currently available in most major pharmacies and doctor’s offices across the country.
Walgreens is now asking people on its website to get a grip to ‘defend your crew’, while Rite Aid insists, ‘don’t wait.’ CVS is offering a “$ 5 off $ 20 shopping pass” to people who are vaccinated at their locations, and says online that the flu shot is “more important than ever this year.”
While the flu virus circulates throughout the year, cases typically run up in October, peak between December and February, and taper off in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC adds, however, flu season can last as late as May.
It’s still summer. Is it too soon to be vaccinated?
Experts say it really depends. In a perfect world, you would be vaccinated between mid-September and late October, says Dr. William Schaffner, a specialist and infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Yahoo Life. “You do not want to be vaccinated because the protection may wear off before the flu season dies in March,” he says.
Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees. “There’s some data that suggests that if you catch a flu very early, it may reduce protection at the end of the season,” he tells Yahoo Life. “But the goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible.”
The CDC currently says online that “getting vaccinated in July or August is too early … September and October are good times to get vaccinated.”
But, if you can only vaccinate now, experts say there could be one benefit. “Some people prefer to wait until later in the autumn season – late September / early October – but then they risk missing it. People can get busy and forget, ”says Dr. David Cennimo, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Yahoo Life.
It’s a good idea to consider your location as well, says Cennimo. “In typical years, influenza hits the western US sooner,” making it unlikely that people on the east coast will be exposed to the flu in August, he says. But, for people on the west coast, it may make more sense to get vaccinated on the earlier side, he says.
What do you need to know about getting one?
Once you decide when to get flu vaccination, it is important to think about how you do it. Although it varies by company-by-company, many large organizations still offer free flu shots to employees, says Ari Cukier, chief operating officer at Affiliated Physicians, a flu vaccinator for companies with more than 1,500 customers in the US. Yahoo Life.
However, things will be somewhat different this year. Cukier says his company requires personal protective equipment (PPE) for all staff and requires patients to wear masks. They also take temperature pictures and encourage social distance (if someone does not get their vaccine). “A lot of events are set up outside – in a tent in parking lots – instead of the typical conference space,” Cukier says.
When Cukier’s team works indoors, they place nurses in “larger than normal rooms” and have only one nurse working in each office space to minimize contact.
Cukier says there has been a separation between smaller and larger companies with the provision of faxes to employees. “Smaller companies can’t promise because they don’t know when, when and how many employees will be back in the office,” he says. “Medium and larger companies are participating in vaccination programs and plans to hold smaller events over longer periods. This will allow more flexibility for people who are remotely set to come to the office one day if they want to. “
As a whole, Cukier says companies “expect higher than normal admission for those they can get in the office. It’s just a question of how or when they will get people to come to the office to take a shot.” it’s best to contact your office’s human resources department to see if they plan to offer flu vaccines this year.
However, if you are vaccinated, whether it is at a pharmacy, doctor’s office, or your employment office, Schaffner says it is important to cover your nose and mouth. “Make sure you wear your mask and that your health insurer has a mask,” he says. If you are particularly nervous, he says that some areas plan to host host vaccinations, where you can get vaccinated in your car. (You can contact your doctor’s or local hospital for more information.)
Generally, Adalja says you should feel safe when you get flu vaccine, provided you wear a mask and practice social distance before and after your shot. “A lot of people go out and get groceries – getting vaccinated is not riskier than that,” he says.
And, if you can still wait a few weeks to get your shot – without completely forgetting it – it may be best to just do that.
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow together to https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised remain the most at risk. If you have any questions, please refer to the GGD‘s and WHO’s resource guides.
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