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Should you get the flu shot and COVID-19 booster shot at the same time?

Doctors stress importance of getting both shots as soon as possible
Lisa Robinson
Reporter
Should you get the flu shot and COVID-19 booster shot at the same time?

Doctors stress importance of getting both shots as soon as possible

HOSPITAL. >> IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT ACCORDING TO THE CDC, IT IS OK TO GET THE COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOT AND FLU SHOT AT THE SAME TIME. >> THERE WILL BE AN UPTICK IN COVID THIS FALL BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GOING INTO INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS AGAIN AND WE ARE CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER. SIMILARLY, WE ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT THERE MAY BE AN UPTICK IN FLU THIS YEAR. >> SO WHICH BOOSTER SHOULD YOU GET? SINAI HOSPITALS DR. MIRIAM ALEXANDER SAYS YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT TO GET THE NEW BOOSTER. >> THAT GIVES YOU THE IMMUNITY TO THE TWO MOST COMMON STRAINS THAT ARE CIRCULATING. >> THE UPDATED COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINE BETTER PROTECTS AGAINST THE SUBVARIANTS OMICRON BA.4 AND BA.5. THE BA.5 MAKES UP ALMOST 90% OF ALL COVID-19 STRAINS NOW IN CIRCULATION. >> IT IS TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET THE COVID BOOSTER SHOT AND THE FLU VACCINE AT THE SAME TIME. OR, YOU CAN SEPARATE THEM. EITHER ONE IS JUST FINE. >> DR. ALEXANDER SAYS THERE’S NO EVIDENCE THERE’S A RISK TO GETTING THEM AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER WHILE THE FLU SHOT IS WIDELY AVAILABLE NOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO WAIT. >> TYPICALLY, THE BEST TIME TO GET THE FLU SHOT IS SOMETIME IN OCTOBER BECAUSE THE FLU SHOT DOES LOSE SOME OF ITS PUMP EARLY SPRING. WE WANT YOU TO BE PROTECTED AGAINST THE FLU STILL IN FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH WHEN WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE FLU. >> SHE SAYS CHILDREN 12 AND UP ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW COVID BOOSTER. MARYLAND HOSPITALS ON THURSDAY ARE TREATING 445 COVID INPATIENTS. MARYLAND IS STILL REPORTING AN AVERAGE OF 1,000 CONFIRMED NEW CASES EVERY DA
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Should you get the flu shot and COVID-19 booster shot at the same time?

Doctors stress importance of getting both shots as soon as possible
Lisa Robinson
Reporter
As flu season gets underway, you might be wondering whether to get the flu shot and the new COVID-19 booster shot at the same time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can get both a COVID-19 booster shot and the flu shot at the same time. But should you?Dr. Miriam Alexander with Maryland's Sinai Hospital said there's no evidence that there's a risk to getting the shots at the same time."It's totally acceptable to get the booster shot and the flu shot at the same time, if that's what you'd like, or you can separate them. Either one is just fine," Alexander said.Doctors say people should not hesitate to get the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot.Video below: What's the difference with the new COVID-19 booster shots?"That gives you the immunity to the two most common strains that are circulating," Alexander said. "There will be an uptick in COVID this fall because we are all going into indoor environments, and we're closer to one another."Doctors said the updated COVID-19 booster vaccine better protects against the subvariants omicron BA.4 and BA.5. The BA.5 variant currently makes up almost 90% of all COVID-19 strains in circulation.Alexander said children 12 and older are eligible for the new COVID-19 booster. And, while the flu shot is currently widely available, people might not want to wait."Typically, the best time to get the flu shot is sometime in October because the flu shot does lose some of its potency in the early spring, and we want you to be protected against the flu still in February and early March when we know we still have flu," Alexander said. "We think there may be an uptick in flu this year."

As flu season gets underway, you might be wondering whether to get the flu shot and the new COVID-19 booster shot at the same time.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can get both a COVID-19 booster shot and the flu shot at the same time. But should you?

Dr. Miriam Alexander with Maryland's Sinai Hospital said there's no evidence that there's a risk to getting the shots at the same time.

"It's totally acceptable to get the booster shot and the flu shot at the same time, if that's what you'd like, or you can separate them. Either one is just fine," Alexander said.

Doctors say people should not hesitate to get the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot.

Video below: What's the difference with the new COVID-19 booster shots?

"That gives you the immunity to the two most common strains that are circulating," Alexander said. "There will be an uptick in COVID this fall because we are all going into indoor environments, and we're closer to one another."

Doctors said the updated COVID-19 booster vaccine better protects against the subvariants omicron BA.4 and BA.5. The BA.5 variant currently makes up almost 90% of all COVID-19 strains in circulation.

Alexander said children 12 and older are eligible for the new COVID-19 booster.

And, while the flu shot is currently widely available, people might not want to wait.

"Typically, the best time to get the flu shot is sometime in October because the flu shot does lose some of its potency in the early spring, and we want you to be protected against the flu still in February and early March when we know we still have flu," Alexander said. "We think there may be an uptick in flu this year."