

Sounds like a win-win-win situation, right? And it reduces the likelihood that hospitals and health centers will become overburdened again, as flu season and the pandemic converge.

It protects vulnerable populations from getting sick. In short: It reduces your chances of getting sick. “It also contributes to what’s called ‘ herd immunity,’ which reduces transmission of the flu through the population and protects children, older adults and people with medical conditions from the flu.” But first, a quick explainer about why flu shots are so critical: “Getting the shot prevents influenza infection, which reduces the burden on our healthcare system and keeps your immune system protected from the flu,” explains Nate Favini, MD, the medical lead of Forward, a preventive primary care practice. If you get it too early, will the effects “wear off” before the end of flu season? But many people are wondering when is the best time to get a flu shot. Influenza immunizations can help us avoid a “twindemic”. Experts, including top docs such as Anthony Fauci, MD, can’t emphasize it enough. Here’s a sentence you’ll be hearing a lot over the next several months: Get your flu shot. Heath experts say getting the flu shot this year is important because the dangers of having COVID-19 and the flu simultaneously are still unknown. Flu shots are available at the nearly 10,000 CVS pharmacies and approximately 100 MinuteClinic locations across the country. KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 03: Enbal Sabag, a Nurse Practitioner, wears personal protection equipment as she administers a flu vaccination to Noel Janzen at the CVS pharmacy and MinuteClinic on Septemin Key Biscayne, Florida.
