Sometimes I get the flu despite having had the flu shot - why should I bother?įlu vaccination prevents illness in up to 6 in 10 healthy adults under the age of 65. It’s important to remember that the side effects show the vaccine is triggering an immune response, which is what it’s designed to do.
They usually go away on their own, once your body has developed an immune response to the vaccine, which will protect you from the flu virus. These side effects can start within a few hours of vaccination and sometimes last for 1 to 2 days. These may include fever, tiredness and muscle aches. Less than 1 in 6 people experience side effects from the flu shot that are similar to the early signs of the flu. All flu vaccines used in Australia are ‘inactivated’, which means they do not contain the live flu virus - so you can't catch the flu from the vaccine.
You’ll be advised to report any adverse events.Īsk your doctor or pharmacist for more advice on how to schedule vaccinations. If this is suggested, you’ll be counselled about any possible adverse events from each vaccine.
it’s highly likely that the opportunity of receiving either vaccine will be missed.there’s a high risk that you’ll be exposed to one of the diseases.In special cases, your healthcare provider may consider shortening the time period between the different vaccines - or they may suggest you receive the vaccines on the same day. If you’re having the Pfizer vaccine, this means you may be able to get a flu vaccination in between the 2 doses, if appropriate. The order will likely depend on vaccine availability, so you may receive whichever vaccine you have access to first. You aren’t required to have the vaccines in any particular order. You should wait at least 7 days between receiving a dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine. You can get the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine - but not on the same day. Can I get the influenza (flu) vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time? By getting the flu vaccine, you can reduce the strain on the health service. The flu vaccine won’t protect you against COVID-19 (coronavirus), but it will reduce your risk of influenza - which leads to thousands of hospitalisations each year. Does the flu vaccine protect against COVID-19? Flu season in Australia usually runs from June to September, peaking in August, so it is important to get your flu shot in April or May. Your immunity is strongest and most effective for 3 to 4 months after you are vaccinated. It’s particularly important to protect vulnerable people in the community who can’t be vaccinated, such as babies who are younger than 6 months and adults with low immunity. Getting vaccinated against the flu helps protect both you and the people around you. The flu can require hospitalisation and can even be fatal. It’s difficult to predict who will catch influenza (‘the flu’), or who will become seriously ill from it. The Australian Government recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months has a flu vaccination every year. Even if your symptoms are mild, get tested for COVID-19 immediately - use the colds and flu Symptom Checker if you're not sure what to do. Related information on Australian websitesįlu symptoms can be very similar to the symptoms of COVID-19.Can I have the flu vaccine if I take immune checkpoint inhibitors?.What is an ‘enhanced’ influenza vaccine?.What is the cell-based influenza vaccine, and is it better than the standard (egg-based) flu vaccines?.Can I get the flu vaccine if I have a latex allergy?.Can I get the flu vaccine if I have an egg allergy?.Is it OK to get the flu shot more than once in the same flu season?.Is it true that the flu vaccine can cause febrile seizures in young children?.