Can you get flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time?
Flu shots have arrived. Is there any danger in getting a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 shot at the same time?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health care providers may administer COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as other immunizations. That includes this season’s flu shot.
In a new study out of England, volunteers received a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot on the same day. The researchers found no safety concerns with the co-administration of the immunizations. They also found the dual-vaccine approach didn’t interfere with the immune response of either shot.
The CDC recommends that, if given together, COVID-19 and influenza vaccines be administered an inch apart or in different limbs. This may reduce the chance of soreness at the injection site.
Last year, masks, physical distancing, school closures and remote work drove down the transmission of COVID-19 as well as seasonal viruses like influenza. But as we’ve loosened precautions, many of those viruses have resurged, and the threat of severe flu season looms.
Everyone eligible should get a flu vaccine as soon as possible, ideally before the end of October. Those who need to combine it with an initial dose of a coronavirus vaccine or a booster shot can feel good about doing so.
McEver, a physician-scientist, is vice president of research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Cohen is a marathoner and OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel and interim president. Submit your health questions for them to contact@omrf.org.