Once You Had the Flu Shot Do You Have to Get It Again

Do y'all demand a flu vaccine if yous accept COVID-19 or if you've had it in the past? The short answer is an emphatic yes.

The Centers for Illness Command and Prevention (CDC) has dissimilar recommendations on the ideal timing for getting a flu vaccine, depending on whether you currently accept COVID-xix or you lot have recovered, besides as the severity of your disease.

Why the Flu Shot Still Matters

If you've had COVID-xix, yous still demand a flu shot considering different viruses crusade the 2 diseases. A novel coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, causes COVID-nineteen, and several influenza viruses that change every year cause the influenza, the CDCexplains.

TheCDC'southward Informational Committee on Immunization Practices(ACIP) determines the three or four flu viruses that are most likely to broadcast in the next flu season, and vaccine manufacturers update the flu shot accordingly. In the United states, updates that accost genetic changes in 2 flu A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and one or two influenza B viruses are included in each season'due south flu vaccines.

Flu Symptoms and Dangers

Recovering from coronavirus does not protect you lot from catching the flu. Even if you lot had a mild course of illness, retrieve that the flu and COVID-nineteen share some uncomfortable symptoms:

• Cough
• Fatigue
• Fever or feeling feverish and experiencing chills
• Headache
• Muscle hurting or torso aches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore pharynx
• Vomiting and diarrhea sometimes, although these symptoms are more mutual in children than in adults

Most people recover from the flu without serious complications while missing work, family unit time and other activities for up to 14 days. But for some people, the flu leads to hospitalizations and deaths, according to the CDC.

Flu complicationsare similar to many seen with COVID-xix:

• Boosted bacterial infections
• Difficulty breathing due to fluid in the lungs, called acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Heart assault and stroke
• Inflammation of the encephalon, eye or muscle tissues
• Multiple-organ failure, including respiratory failure, kidney failure and stupor
• Pneumonia
• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and nervous system disorders

In general, people who have a higher risk of serious complications from the flu include adults over the age of 65, pregnant women, very young children, and those with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, kidney diseaseand other chronic medical conditions, the CDC says.

People with a weakened immune system due to a diseasealso have a college hazard of more severe disease with the influenza. Every bit the pandemic unfolds, scientists accept learned that COVID-19 can outcome in prolonged illness, even in immature adults who were otherwise healthy.

Influenza can spread before you have symptoms and for several days afterwards you take hold of it. People with weakened allowed systems who take the flu might be able to infect others for even more extended periods, the CDCadvises.

Postpone Your Flu Shot if You Have COVID-xix Now

The best way to protect yourself and others against seasonal flu infection this fall or winter is to get a flu shot. According to the CDC, the influenza shot reduced the risk of flu by 40% to 60% when the vaccine was well matched to the viruses estimated to be spreading in previous flu seasons.

But if you have a suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection, the CDCadvises postponing a flu shot until after your symptoms have resolved. This recommendation is essential if y'all are very ill, but it likewise applies if you tested positive for COVID-19 and do not take any symptoms.

Postal service-Coronavirus Flu Shot Timing

Use the CDC's criteria for discontinuing home isolation subsequently COVID-19 to determine your all-time time for a influenza shot:

• If you never had any COVID-19 symptoms, wait 10 days subsequently the date of your showtime positive coronavirus test
• If you had symptoms, wait at least 24 hours subsequently your final fever — without the use of fever-reducing medications — and your symptoms show signs of improving
• If yous were severely ill with COVID-19, you should stay in home isolation for upwards to 20 days after your symptoms began and consult your physician most the best time for a flu shot.

Technically, it'south OK to have a flu shot if you only take a mild case of COVID-nineteen, the CDCsays. However, it recommends postponing getting vaccinated until you are well to minimize the adventure of spreading the virus to health intendance workers and others while you are withal contagious.

Stay Safe, Get Vaccinated

The CDCsays it takes about two weeks for protective antibodies to develop in response to the influenza shot. It recommends having a flu shot in September and, ideally, by the stop of Oct.

Simply if you've had coronavirus and need to wait until yous meet the CDC'south criteria for determining when to get vaccinated, rest assured that you tin still get a flu shot later in the season, well into Jan and the early on jump months. The CDCexpects vaccines will exist available for a longer period this flu season because vaccine manufacturers are producing a tape number of doses.

Protect Yourself, Protect Others From the Flu

Getting a flu shot is the nearly disquisitional step you can have to avoid catching the flu and condign seriously sick if you do come down with it. Getting vaccinated also helps protect your loved ones, co-workers and members of your community from getting sick, also.

Zippo Matters More to Us Than Yous

If yous accept COVID-19 or had it in the by and have questions virtually getting a flu shot, speak to your medico about timing. Flu vaccines are available throughAdventHealth main care physicians  and at Centra Intendance Urgent Intendance  locations.

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Source: https://www.adventhealth.com/blog/you-should-get-a-flu-shot-if-youve-had-covid-19-heres-why

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