Flu Shots

Influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza can affect people differently, but millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. Flu can mean a few days of feeling bad and missing work or it can result in more serious illness. Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children. While some people who get a flu vaccine may still get sick, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness.

Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against flu illness.

Seasonal flu vaccines are designed to protect against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Beginning again in 2024-2025, all flu vaccines in the United States will be “trivalent” vaccines, which means they protect against three different influenza viruses: an influenza A(H1N1) virus, an influenza A(H3N2) virus, and an influenza B/Victoria virus.

All flu vaccines for the 2025-2026 season will be trivalent vaccines, designed to protect against three different influenza viruses, including two influenza A viruses and an influenza B/Victoria virus. Different vaccines are licensed for use in different age groups, and some vaccines are not recommended for some groups of people.

For people younger than 65 years

For people younger than 65 years, CDC does not preferentially recommend any licensed, age-appropriate influenza (flu) vaccine over another. Options for this age group include inactivated influenza vaccines [IIVs], recombinant influenza vaccine [RIV], or live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), with no preference for any flu vaccine over another. Everyone should get an age-appropriate vaccine (that is, one that is approved for their age), with the exception that people 18 through 64 years old who have had a solid organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive medications may receive high-dose (HD-IIV3) or adjuvanted inactivated (aIIV3) influenza vaccines as acceptable options (without a preference over other age-appropriate IIV3s and RIV3).

For people 65 years and older

For people 65 years and older, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended over standard-dose, unadjuvanted flu vaccines. These are Fluzone High-Dose flu vaccine, Flublok Recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Adjuvanted flu vaccine. More information is available at Flu & People 65 Years and Older. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted influenza vaccines. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years.

If none of the three influenza vaccines preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older is available at the time of administration, people in this age group should get any other age-appropriate influenza vaccine instead.

Adults age 65 yrs and up are eligible for a high-dose vaccination.
Call (630) 892-4355 to schedule an appointment in a VNA Health Center clinic or call Home Health to schedule a home visit at (630) 892-4355 x8653.

Everyone 6 months and older in the United States, with rare exception, should get a flu vaccine every season. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has made this “universal” recommendation since the 2010-2011 influenza season.

Vaccination to prevent influenza and its potentially serious complications is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious influenza complications. A full list of age and health factors that are associated with increased risk is available at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/index.htm.

Different influenza vaccines are approved for use in people in different age groups. In addition, some vaccines are not recommended for certain groups of people. Factors that can determine a person’s suitability for vaccination, or vaccination with a particular vaccine, include a person’s age, health (current and past) and any allergies to influenza vaccine or its components. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/whoshouldvax.htm .

For most people who need only one dose of influenza vaccine for the season, September and October are generally good times to be vaccinated against influenza. Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. Additional considerations concerning the timing of vaccination for certain groups of people include:

• Most adults, especially those 65 years and older, and pregnant women in the first or second trimester should generally not get vaccinated early (in July or August) because protection may decrease over time. However, early vaccination can be considered for any person who is unable to return at a later time to be vaccinated.
• Some children need two doses of influenza vaccine. For those children it is recommended to get the first dose as soon as vaccine is available, because the second dose needs to be given at least four weeks after the first. Vaccination during July and August also can be considered for children who need only one dose.
• Vaccination during July and August also can be considered during the third trimester of pregnancy because this can help protect their infants for the first few months after birth (when they are too young to be vaccinated).

A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because influenza viruses are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually, and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually.

No. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. That’s why it’s best to get vaccinated before influenza viruses start to spread in your community.

Influenza (flu) vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary. The protection provided by a flu vaccine varies from season to season and depends in part on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine and the similarity or “match” between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation. During years when the flu vaccine match is good, it is possible to measure substantial benefits from flu vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness and complications. However, the benefits of flu vaccination will still vary, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated (for example, their health and age), what influenza viruses are circulating that season and, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used.

It’s possible to get sick with flu even if you have been vaccinated (although you won’t know for sure unless you get a flu test). This is possible for the following reasons:

• You may be exposed to an influenza virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the period that it takes the body to gain protection after getting vaccinated. This exposure may result in you becoming ill with flu before the vaccine begins to protect you. (Antibodies that provide protection develop in the body about 2 weeks after vaccination.)
• You may be exposed to an influenza virus that is not included in the seasonal flu vaccine. There are many different influenza viruses that circulate every year. A flu vaccine is made to protect against the three influenza viruses that research suggests will be most common.
• Unfortunately, some people can become infected with an influenza virus that the vaccine is designed to protect against, despite getting vaccinated. Protection provided by flu vaccination can vary widely, based in part on the age and health of the person getting vaccinated. In general, flu vaccines work best among healthy younger adults and older children. Some older people and some people with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination. Flu vaccination is not a perfect tool, but it is the best way to protect against flu virus infection.

Some people who get vaccinated may still get sick with flu. However, flu vaccination has been shown in studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick. A 2021 study showed that among adults, flu vaccination was associated with a 26% lower risk of ICU admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated. A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized adults with flu

There are many reasons to get an influenza (flu) vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious complications.
Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination.

• Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
• Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.
• Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization.
• Flu vaccination is an important preventive tool for people with certain chronic health conditions.
• Flu vaccination helps protect pregnant people during and after pregnancy and helps protect infants from flu in their first few months of life.
• Flu vaccine can be lifesaving in children.
• Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you.