Flu shots are available nationwide, but is it too early to get the flu shot?

It may be difficult to think of an illness other than COVID-19 right now, but flu shots are currently available in most major pharmacies and doctor’s offices across the country.

Walgreens are now asking people on its website to get the flu shot to “defend your crew,” while Rite Aid is urging “don’t wait.” CVS is offering a “$ 5 off $ 20 pass” to people who get vaccinated on the spot, and says online that the flu shot is “more important than ever this year.”

While the flu virus circulates year round, cases typically increase in October, peak between December and February, and decrease in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, the CDC adds, the flu season can last until May.

It’s still summer. Is it too early to get vaccinated?

Experts say it really depends. In a perfect world, you get vaccinated between mid-September and the end of October, says Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist and professor in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, at Yahoo Life. “You don’t want to get vaccinated too early because the protection may wipe off before the flu season ends in March,” he says.

Dr Amesh A. Adalja, principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees. “There is some evidence to suggest that if you get the flu shot very early, at the end of the season, its protection may decrease,” he told Yahoo Life. “But the goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

The CDC is currently saying 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 get the vaccine now, experts say there might be a benefit. “Some people prefer to wait until later in the fall – late September / early October – but then they run the risk of missing it. People can be busy and forget, ”says Dr. David Cennimo, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, at Yahoo Life.

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It’s a good idea to take your location into account as well, Cennimo says. “In typical years the flu hits the western United States earlier,” making it unlikely that residents of the east coast would be exposed to the flu in August, he says. But, for people on the west coast, it may make more sense to get vaccinated earlier, he says.

What do you need to know to get one?

Once you have decided when to get the flu shot, it is important to think about how you are going to get it. Although it varies from company to company, many large organizations still offer free flu shots to employees, said Ari Cukier, chief operating officer at Affiliated Physicians, an influenza vaccine supplier for businesses with more than 1,500 customers in the United States. Yahoo Life.

Things will be slightly different this year, however. Cukier says his company mandates personal protective equipment (PPE) for all staff and requires patients to wear masks. They also do temperature tests and encourage social distancing (when someone is not getting the vaccine). “A lot of events are held outdoors – in a tent in the parking lots – instead of the typical conference room setup,” Cukier says.

When Cukier’s team works indoors, they place nurses in “larger than normal rooms” and only have one nurse working in each office space to minimize contact.

Cukier says there has been a divide between small and large companies when it comes to providing vaccines to employees. “Small businesses can’t get involved because they don’t know when, if and how many employees will be back in the office,” he says. “Medium and large companies are engaging in immunization programs and planning to run smaller events over long periods of time. This will allow people who are installed remotely to come to the office for a day if they wish. “

Overall, Cukier says companies “expect higher than normal turnout for those they can get in the office. It’s just a matter of how or if they are going to get people to come to the office for the shot. Ultimately, it’s best to contact the human resources department in your office to see if they plan to offer flu shots this year.

When you get vaccinated, whether in a drugstore, doctor’s office, or your work office, Schaffner says it’s important to cover your nose and mouth. “Make sure you wear your mask and that your healthcare professional is wearing a mask,” he says. If you’re particularly nervous, he says some areas are considering hosting drive-through vaccinations, where you can get the shot in your car. (You can contact your doctor’s office or local hospital for more information.)

Overall, Adalja says you should feel safe getting your flu shot as long as you wear a mask and practice social distancing before and after your injection. “A lot of people go out shopping – getting the vaccine is no more risky than that,” he says.

And, if you can wait a few more weeks to get your shot – without forgetting it entirely – it might be better to do so.

For the latest news and updates on the coronavirus, follow to https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those with compromised immune systems continue to be at greatest risk. If you have any questions, please consult the CDC‘sand WHO resource guides.

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