Flu Shot Information
Influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Everyone 6 months and older in the United States, with rare exception, should get a flu vaccine every season. 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. All flu vaccines in the United States will be trivalent (three component) vaccines beginning with the 2024-2025 season. For people 65 years and older, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended.
Why People Should be Vaccinated
Influenza (flu) is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and flu can affect people differently, but during typical flu seasons, millions of people get flu, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes. Flu can mean a few days of feeling bad and missing work, school, or family events, 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 reduce the risk of getting flu and any of its potentially serious complications. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and even the risk of flu-related death. While some people who get a flu vaccine may still get sick with influenza, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness.
How Flu Vaccines Work
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.
Additional Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
New York State Department of Health
A Strong Defense Against Flu: Get Vaccinated!
Una fuerta defensa contra la influenza (gripe): ¡Vacúnese!