Flu Shot

All persons aged 6 months and older, especially people at an increased risk for flu complications.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), groups that may be at an increased risk for flu complications include:

• Adults 65 years and older
• Children younger than 2 years old
• People with asthma
• People with chronic lung disease (such as COPD or cystic fibrosis)
• People with neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions
• People with blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• People with endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
• People with heart disease (such as congestive heart failure, congenital heart disease, or coronary artery disease)
• People with kidney, liver, or metabolic disorders
• People with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or higher
• People younger than 19 years old on long-term aspirin or salicylate-containing medications
• People with weakened immune systems due to diseases or medications
• People who have had a stroke
• People who are pregnant, including up to 2 weeks after the end of pregnancy
• People who live in nursing homes or long-term care facilities
• People from certain racial and ethnic groups are at increased risk for hospitalization with flu, including non-Hispanic Black persons, Hispanic or Latino persons, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons

• Children younger than 6 months of age
• People with severe, life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine.

Any influenza virus infection can carry a risk of serious complications, hospitalization or death, even among otherwise healthy children and adults. Getting your flu shot can lower the chance of getting the flu. If you do end up sick with the flu, it can also lessen the severity of your symptoms.

Flu season runs from the beginning of October to the middle of May. This is when the flu virus is circulating at higher levels. For most people, it is recommended to get the flu shot early in the season, typically before the end of October, to protect you for the entire flu season.

Early flu vaccinations in July and August are preferred for pregnant women in the third trimester to protect the mother and the newborn infant <6 months old and young children 6 months to 8 years old who are getting vaccinated the first flu season ever and will need two doses one month apart.

The flu vaccines are made with inactive (dead) strains, attenuated (weakened) strains, or a single protein of the influenza virus and cannot cause the flu.

The flu vaccine typically causes little to no side effects. If side effects occur, usually they are mild and may include:

• Redness, mild swelling, or soreness where you got the shot
• Mild fever
• Rash
• Headache or body aches

• The majority of health insurance plans cover the annual flu vaccine at no or minimal cost. Be sure to consult with your insurance provider to confirm your coverage.
• Patients without insurance may expect to pay between $35-$90 depending on where you receive your flu shot and what flu shot you receive.

Typically, you want to wait until you have made a full recovery from any respiratory illness before getting the flu shot. This will assure that your body can produce a strong enough response to the flu shot.

The most common symptoms are sudden onset of fever (half having a temperature greater than 100.4), cough, sore throat, body aches, chills, headache and fatigue. Some people with the flu have experienced diarrhea and vomiting, as well. Stay home if you get sick. In most cases, people with the flu will get better without medical attention. Wait to be around people until your fever has been gone for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications.

Warning: Do not give aspirin or medications that contain aspirin to children 18 years and younger. If you are at risk for complications of influenza, call your healthcare provider.

All flu vaccines for the 2025-2026 season are trivalent. This means the vaccine shot provides protection against three influenza viruses: 1) A(H1N1) virus unchanged from 2024-2025 season, 2) updated A(H3N2) virus, and 3) unchanged B/Victoria virus.

• Killed or inactivated flu shot vaccine is approved for people 6 months or older. These vaccines are egg-based or cell-culture based.
• The recombinant protein vaccine is approved for persons aged 9 years or older.
• The high-dose flu vaccine and the adjuvanted flu vaccine are approved for people aged 65 years and older.
• Self-administer live nasal spray influenza vaccine is approved for healthy and non-pregnant persons 2-49 years old for the first time during the 2025-2026 season. The live weakened virus nasal spray flu vaccine should not be used if you are immunocompromised or at high risk for influenza complications. You can order the nasal spray flu vaccine for self- or caregiver administration at Welcome - Flumist. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program must receive this vaccine through a healthcare provider, not via home administration. Children <3 years old may need to receive this flu vaccine at their healthcare provider’s office with a nurse or provider visit or at the local county or regional health department immunization clinic.