Get your COVID, flu shots together ahead of Thanksgiving, CDC urges
Getting COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time is not only safe but might also improve community uptake, according to a new study. The research, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open, is the first to use real-world data to explore the impact of administering these vaccines concurrently.
Analyzing data from 3.4 million U.S. adults between August 2022 and January, the research focused on the bivalent MRNA COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and last year’s seasonal influenza vaccine. The findings support a previous recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to administer both vaccines together, which relied primarily on safety data from clinical trials.
The study comes at a pivotal moment, with Thanksgiving just around the corner. The CDC is urging everyone, especially those planning to travel or visit with high-risk individuals, to prioritize getting vaccinated ahead of holiday gatherings. The agency noted that it takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity.
“We know we’re going to see more flu starting to circulate, and more COVID, so right now is a great time for you to get vaccinated,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the CDC, told CBS News on Wednesday. “That way, your body can build up its protection ahead of the holiday season.”
Despite the availability of new COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer since Sept. 12, uptake has been slower than hoped. Only about 4.5% of the U.S. population had received the updated vaccine as of late October. The reformulated dose was designed to target current coronavirus strains more effectively, notably the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which drove the majority of infections this year.
Cohen, who has been on a nationwide tour to promote vaccines for flu, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus, noted that October was the ideal time to get those shots. But she said it’s not too late, especially with Christmas and other winter celebrations coming up.
“I know folks want to leave COVID in the rear-view mirror, but unfortunately it is still here and is still causing folks to get very sick and even die,” she said.
Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, the president of the American Medical Association, on Wednesday stressed the importance of eligible Americans getting up to date on all three vaccines.
“The best thing you can do to protect yourself, your family, your kids, your grandparents — anybody that you love — is to get vaccinated,” he said in a video post on X (formerly Twitter). “My in-laws just got all three of their vaccines on the same day, which you can do.”
The authors of the new study wrote that their extensive data may “help reassure health care professionals that giving these vaccines together is not only safe, but likely to yield similar effectiveness against COVID-19- and influenza-related outcomes.”
However, there is a caveat: The combined approach might elevate the risk of stroke for some individuals 85 and older in rare cases, according to a separate preprint study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the agency noted that the benefits of the shots far outweigh the risks and that the people in the study received high-dose flu vaccines, known as adjuvanted vaccines, which are sometimes administered to individuals 65 and older due to their weaker immune systems.
“The FDA is confident in the safety, effectiveness, and quality of the COVID-19 vaccines that the agency has authorized and approved,” it said in a statement.
Even those who are up to date on their vaccinations should exercise caution during Thanksgiving gatherings by staying home if sick, wearing masks in crowded public places, and ensuring proper ventilation, the head of the CDC said.