When Should You Get a Flu Shot?

As a general rule, you want to get a dose of flu vaccine before the flu season begins. However, the earlier you can get your flu shot the better. Flu vaccine helps keep you, your family, and those around you safe from influenza virus.

You should get a does of flu vaccine as soon as it is available.

Getting a dose of flu vaccine is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of flu virus. Help keep your community safe from influenza.

Get the flu shot before the flu starts spreading through your community. It takes a couple of weeks for the flu vaccine to protect against infections, so the earlier you get the vaccine the better. You can get vaccinated for the 2019-2020 flu season now.

The CDC recommends getting the flu vaccine as soon as it is available. The flu shot is available now at 14 MANA locations across Northwest Arkansas. Click To Tweet

Some children need two doses of vaccine. The two doses must be given at least four weeks apart, which means that these children must start vaccination even sooner.

What if you don’t get a flu shot early?

Flu vaccination can help prevent the spread of infection and reduce flu hospitalizations. It takes time after you get a dose of the vaccine for your body to develop flu-fighting antibodies, though. For these reasons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone get a flu shot by the end of October, or before flu season starts.

It’s not too late to get a flu shot if you miss the October deadline, however. You can get sick with the flu virus at any time. Making it through January without getting the flu doesn’t mean you won’t get the flu. It just means that you’ve been lucky enough not to get sick yet.

Flu vaccination protects you against the virus, and helps keep others around you from getting sick. You still get these benefits in January and even into the spring.

Who should get a flu shot?

It’s recommended that everyone over 6 months of age get vaccinated for the flu. While everyone should get the flu vaccine, vaccination is especially important for people at a high risk for flu complications; this includes children, infants, older adults, those with chronic health conditions, and those with a weakened immune system.

You need a flu vaccine every year to protect against the virus. Several MANA clinics currently offer flu shots in Northwest Arkansas. Contact the clinic of your choice for information about appointments and walk-in availability.