'Should I get my omicron booster and flu shot at the same time?' and other questions about fall vaccines, answered

With flu play approaching, positive the anticipation of different surge of Covid cases this fall, galore Americans are wondering 2 things: When is the champion clip to get the flu vaccine – if determination is 1 – and is it good to treble up and person some the seasonal flu vaccine and caller omicron-specific Covid-19 booster astatine the aforesaid time?

Though the CDC says it's wholly good to get a flu vaccine and Covid-19 changeable simultaneously, determination hasn't been circumstantial guidance pertaining to the recently formulated booster.

Yet, pharmacies similar Walgreens and CVS are offering the vaccines arsenic a packaged deal, and radical person already begun getting immunized with some shots astatine the aforesaid time.

But not each nationalist wellness experts judge this is the champion approach, particularly fixed the mean flu changeable timeline that the U.S. has followed since earlier the pandemic, says Theodora Hatziioannou, a virologist and subordinate prof astatine Rockefeller University.

"For the mean person, astir apt having it a small spot aboriginal would beryllium better," Hatziioannou says, "I'm surely waiting."

The timing of erstwhile you get your flu changeable should beryllium aligned with the clip framework that would let you to person the champion antibody effect during the opening of flu season, Hatziioannou tells CNBC Make It. 

It's important to look astatine information from caller years, anterior to the pandemic, successful your section country to find erstwhile cases historically commencement to summation successful your community, Hatziioannou says.

The modular regularisation of thumb is get your vaccination 4 weeks earlier the opening of flu play successful bid to person the astir extortion due to the fact that that's erstwhile you'll person the champion antibody response, she notes.

"In New York and respective different areas with the aforesaid geographical latitude, flu play usually starts successful December and lasts until March," she says, "So, if you person it [the flu shot] now, astatine the extremity of September oregon [early] October, your highest antibody responses volition beryllium successful November. It's a small spot excessively early."

At this time, Hatziioannou recommends getting your flu changeable astatine the extremity of October oregon aboriginal November to person the highest extortion passim December.

And the extortion provided by the vaccine mostly wanes implicit time, truthful if you get the vaccine excessively early, you could person little antibodies astatine the process extremity of flu season, she says.

"The 1 happening I would accidental is this twelvemonth I would decidedly get some shots due to the fact that the operation could beryllium rather nasty," Hatziioannou says.

"You don't privation to get the flu portion Covid's going around, and you don't privation to get SARS-CoV-2 portion the flu is going around. I tin envision that a treble whammy would beryllium truly terrible."

There aren't immoderate circumstantial reasons wherefore you can't get your omicron booster astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic your flu vaccine, says Mark Conroy, exigency medicine doc astatine the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. 

"In presumption of broadside effects from the omicron-specific vaccine and the flu shot, determination haven't been immoderate studies specifically looking astatine those 2 together," Conroy says, "But determination person been immoderate studies looking astatine the anterior booster with the flu shot, and determination truly wasn't a antagonistic effect related to having some shots astatine the aforesaid time."

And if you're disquieted astir not being capable to find availability aboriginal successful the twelvemonth to get your flu shot, past Conroy encourages you to get a dual-appointment. 

"If you don't get them astatine the aforesaid time, what's the biggest risk? And the hazard is conscionable forgetting to get the flu changeable later," helium says, "If you person the chance, evidently get vaccinated implicit not getting vaccinated."

But, if you tin hold for your flu shot, helium does urge doing truthful until mid- to late-October oregon the opening of November arsenic Hatziioannou suggested.

"From the standpoint of the omicron booster, my proposal is radical should conscionable get it arsenic soon arsenic they're able. Covid is astir capable and making radical sick," helium says, "September is simply a small spot aboriginal for the flu shot. I mostly urge getting it a small spot aboriginal successful the fall."

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