When’s the best time to get a flu shot? Doctors explain
Why Americans should wait to get flu shots until October, according to experts
- Experts recommend getting the annual flu vaccine in October, around Halloween, to ensure protection lasts further into the flu season, which typically runs from October to May.
- This advice is due to concerns that the vaccine's effectiveness may wane within weeks of administration, increasing the risk of contracting the flu later in the season.
- Last year's flu season was the deadliest non-pandemic season on record for US children, resulting in 279 deaths, and saw the highest hospitalization rate in over a decade.
- While most people only need one dose, children under eight who have never had a flu shot before are advised to get two doses, with the first acting as a primer.
- Doctors stress that everyone aged six months and older should receive an annual flu vaccine, which is widely available at pharmacies and can reduce illness severity and the risk of death by 31 percent.