Flu season begins this week. Getting the flu shot is linked to less severe COVID-19 symptoms.

• The flu season accelerates in October, so authorities recommend getting the flu shot by the end of this month.

• A study found that people who got the flu shot were less likely to develop serious complications from COVID-19.

• It is safe to receive the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine or booster at the same time.

Our second pandemic influenza season begins Friday with the arrival of October. But this time, scientists have the good news: Getting a flu shot could lower your risk of severe symptoms of COVID-19.

A study published in the journal Plos One last month found that people who got the flu shot in the past six months were less likely to develop serious complications from a coronavirus infection. The conclusion came after researchers analyzed more than 74,700 medical records of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Israel and Singapore. They found that people who had not had a flu shot were up to 20% more likely to be admitted to intensive care than those who had a flu shot.

The unvaccinated group was also up to 58% more likely to go to the emergency room due to complications from COVID-19 and up to 58% more likely to have a stroke. However, research has not found a link between receiving a flu shot and being less likely to die from COVID-19.

Previous studies have also found associations between the flu vaccine and improved COVID-19 outcomes. But the flu shot isn’t designed to protect against the coronavirus, and it doesn’t necessarily boost immunity.

Instead, human behavior may be a factor: People who get the flu shot may be more health conscious than those who don’t, or wealthier and more educated, and therefore more likely to take action to improve their personal health. . These factors can therefore also reduce their risk of severe COVID-19.

It is safe to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time

If you’re eligible for a COVID-19 booster, you can get the flu shot the same day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a change from previous guidelines, which recommended waiting 14 days between the COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine.

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“COVID-19 vaccines can be given regardless of the timing of other vaccines,” the CDC said on September 14.

Dr Anthony Fauci doubled down on that recommendation in an interview with CNN on Monday.

“What you need to do is get it as soon as you can and in the fastest way,” Fauci said of the flu shot. “If that means going in and getting the flu shot in one arm, COVID in the other, that’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it might make it more convenient. “

When is the best time to get the flu shot?

Influenza activity tends to increase in October, with the flu season usually peaking between December and February.

Since protection from the vaccine wanes over time and it takes two weeks to build antibodies against the virus after injection, the optimal time to get the vaccine is September or October. The CDC recommends that all people 6 months and older get vaccinated by the end of October, with rare exceptions.

The flu kills tens of thousands of Americans every year; it is especially dangerous for children 2 years of age and under, adults over 65, and people with chronic health problems. These groups are at increased risk of being hospitalized or dying from the flu.

Last year’s flu season was an exception in recent history as many people wore masks in public, practiced social distancing, and traveled less. U.S. labs reported only 2,136 samples that tested positive for influenza to the CDC, according to a JAMA article. During the same period, there have been 748 flu deaths, meaning the country has avoided the dreaded “twindemic” of influenza and COVID-19. (The final flu tally will be higher, however, once the CDC completes its estimates.)

In the 2019-20 flu season, by contrast, the flu was associated with 38 million infections and 22,000 deaths in the United States, according to CDC estimates.

Flu season is expected to be worse this year than last year, as more Americans travel and attend school than they were a year ago. Additionally, as of early September, 37 states did not have a statewide mask warrant, according to NBC News. Last fall, 37 states had statewide mandates, ABC News reported.

While it’s best to get the shot before the worst of the season, it’s better to get the shot late than not at all. Fauci said in 2019 that he sometimes hears people say they no longer need to get a flu shot once December or January rolls around because they are well into the season and have not yet fallen. sick.

“But there is the flu there,” he said. “It is never too late to get the vaccine. That said, try to get the vaccine before October 31.”

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