A couple weeks ago, my wife and I rolled up our sleeves and got our shots again. No, not the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve already had two of those shots, and expect to receive a third before Thanksgiving. Our latest shot was the seasonal flu vaccine, which we’ve gotten every year for as long as I can remember.
With all of the attention on COVID-19 vaccines, you may have forgotten about the seasonal flu shot. Please don’t. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that because virus activity was low last flu season, the 2021-2022 season could be more severe than usual. The CDC recommends that everyone be vaccinated, starting at 6 months old. In the U.K., health officials are concerned that seasonal flu activity could be 50% greater than in a typical flu year.
The composition of flu vaccines approved in the U.S. is reviewed each year and updated to match the flu viruses public health officials believe will be circulating. This season, they believe four viruses will be circulating, and the approved vaccines are designed to protect against all of them. Recommended Reading
Are there special considerations for people with MS?
According to guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology, which are summarized on the National Multiple Sclerosis Association’s website, two concerns about flu vaccines are specific to MS. The first is that the live version of the flu vaccine, contained in a nasal spray, should not be used by people who are either currently receiving or have recently received therapies that suppress or modify the immune system. Many MS therapies do that.
The second is that people with MS who are having a relapse should delay getting a flu vaccination until treatment for their relapse is completed or the relapse ends on its own.
Can I get the flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine together?
My primary care physician said yes. In fact, she told me I could get them both during the same visit, with one shot in each arm. (I wasn’t really up for that, though.)
If you plan to get both, the CDC says you should follow the schedule recommended for each vaccine. That is, if you’re not current with your COVID-19 vaccines, get up to date as soon as possible. And if possible, you should get a flu vaccine by the end of October.
What if I don’t want a flu shot?
OK, I know some of you won’t get a flu shot.
Some people think the flu vaccine can give you the flu. Health officials say it can’t, and I believe them. Some folks say it’s not effective at preventing the flu. The CDC says it’s only 40-60% effective in an average season, but isn’t some protection better than none?
Whatever your reason, if you’re not going to get a flu shot, you can still help protect yourself and others by doing simple things like washing your hands frequently, sneezing into your arm instead of your hand, keeping surfaces sanitized, venting rooms to keep air circulating, and wearing a mask around others. These are the same things you can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
(A version of this post first appeared as my column on the MS News Today website.)
(Featured image by Arek Socha from Pixabay.)
