Should you get the COVID booster and flu shot together? What KY health officials say

With the weather cooling down and influenza-like illness activity beginning in some states, it’s time to consider getting your annual flu shot.

It’s recommended anyone ages 6 months and older get their season flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October just as cases peak in the fall and winter months.

For those considering doubling up and getting their COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot in one pharmacy or clinic visit, we checked in with local public health experts for their advice. Here’s what to know as we head into what some are calling a “twindemic.”

Is it safe to get the COVID booster and flu shot at the same time?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yes. The agency notes that while specific data is limited, the body generally reacts in the same way when vaccines are given alone or together.

Lindsey Todd, a registered nurse who manages the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s clinical services, said patients can get both in one visit to the health department.

“Whenever anyone visits our Public Health Clinic for one of the shots, we offer the other on the same visit. Both the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine, including the bivalent booster, are important to help keep people safe and healthy this fall and winter,” Todd told the Herald-Leader via email.

The LFCHD is hosting a free flu shot clinic at Consolidated Baptist Church at 1625 Russell Cave Road in Lexington Oct. 13. You can register for the clinic online.

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Should I get my COVID booster and flu shot at the same time?

Although you can, you may not want to. Recent research indicates some uptick in producing an immune response when both vaccines are administered simultaneously compared to just receiving the COVID-19 booster on its own.

Side effects of the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine – such as soreness at the injection site – are similar and generally mild to moderate, resolving within a few days.

The CDC recommends if you aren’t caught up on the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, make that a priority and then get your flu shot by the end of October.

What are some recommendations for timing my shots?

According to Dr. Vince Venditto, an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky’s College of Pharmacy, you should ultimately do what works for you, and that means not overthinking it.

There’s no reason not to get both jabs during the same visit if that’s ultimately more convenient for you, Venditto said.

“If now is the time that you’re going to get your COVID vaccine, get your flu vaccine,” he said, adding he got vaccines last week, one in each arm.

“I actually have gotten both … I didn’t have any significant response that really concerned me,” Venditto said.

There is something to be said about waiting until the end of October to get your flu shot, when they are typically widely administered, in order to maximize your protection and coincide with the peak of the flu season, Venditto said.

But for most people, getting both shots during the same visit will just make more sense, Venditto said.

“It’s easier when I have access to both of them at the same time. I’m going to get both,” he said.

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Could the flu shot give me the flu?

This is a common misconception, Venditto points out. Flu shots do not contain live flu viruses, the CDC notes. In the case of nasal sprays, the virus is live, but weakened so it cannot cause influenza.

“What people are feeling after they’ve gotten the vaccine is the immune response,” he said, referring to the fever or chills people may experience post-vaccination.

It’s an immune response that indicates the vaccine is working, as “the vaccine is designed to stimulate that response.”

It is reasonable for you to have soreness in your arms, fever or other mild symptoms. They shouldn’t last for a long time, Venditto underscores.

Who should not get a flu shot?

The recommendation from the CDC is that “everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October.”

That said, there are some groups for which the vaccine is a priority, including young children and older adults. If you have specific health concerns, Venditto recommends speaking to your health care provider.

“It is important to have those very serious discussions with health care providers,” he said.

Why is it important to get a flu shot in October?

As the weather gets colder and forces more people indoors, flu season begins in earnest.

In order to ensure that the maximum number of people are protected, vaccination has to occur several weeks beforehand.

“Getting the flu vaccine closer to the time when it’s going to start spiking would certainly give you that enhanced protection,” closer to the spike, Venditto said.

“You want to make sure that you have that optimal, maximum protection at the peak of flu season,” Venditto added.

The immune response does wane over time, he noted. There is a recommendation that you wait as long as you can to get the flu vaccine to maximize your protection.

Why is it important to get the flu shot this season?

The flu season and coronavirus pandemic can influence each other. If one creates a surge of hospital admissions, it may be harder for the health care providers to manage the other, Venditto said.

“We certainly don’t want to have to deal with two pandemics at one time,” he said.

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