When Is the Best Time to Get a Flu Shot?

Flu season can be unpredictable. Usually, it begins in early autumn and tapers off by the end of spring, peaking at some point between December and March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that most people age six months and older receive an annual influenza vaccination before the start of flu season.

Do You Really Need to Get a Flu Shot Every Year?

The CDC recommendation for annual flu shots is based on scientific evidence, which shows that influenza viruses are constantly mutating and changing. Therefore, even if you’ve had one or more flu shots in the past, you can’t count on the vaccines you received in prior years to provide you with sufficient protection going forward. Based on extensive research, each seasonal flu vaccine is custom-formulated to protect against the three or four main viruses believed to be most likely to spread and cause illness in the coming year. For this reason, it’s important for everyone to receive a flu vaccine prior to the start of each flu season.

Exactly When Should You Roll up Your Sleeve?

You might start noticing pharmacy advertisements urging you to get your annual flu shot as early as August. But, when is the best time to get vaccinated? The answer to this question is less than straightforward. Here’s why:

After you receive your flu shot, it can take a few weeks for your body’s immune system to produce and store enough antibodies to defend against infection. This means that if you are exposed to an influenza virus during that time, you can still become ill. For this reason, it’s important to get your flu shot early in the season—just not too early. That’s because some studies suggest that the effectiveness of flu antibodies may begin to decline over time. So, if you get your flu shot too early, you may end up going unprotected at the end of the season.

Further complicating matters is human nature. If you put off getting your flu shot in an attempt to wait for the optimal time, chances are that you will be more likely to forget about it altogether. And, a vaccine given too early is still preferable to no vaccine at all.

With all of this in mind, some experts believe that the ideal time to get an annual flu shot is in late September or early October. But, all things considered, a few weeks in either direction probably won’t make much of a difference.

At South Tampa Immediate Care, we recommend getting your annual influenza vaccine when it’s most convenient for you. If you have questions or would like to receive a flu shot, you can call or visit our office on South Howard Avenue in Tampa, FL. We are open during extended hours, and you can see a doctor without an appointment.