Flu season is here! Flu season typically begins in October and can last until May in the United States. Learn more about vaccination by checking out these 5 frequently asked questions about the flu:

What does the flu shot do?

Every year, researchers determine the upcoming season’s most common influenza viruses to create the flu vaccine. The vaccine causes antibodies that provide protection against infection to form around two weeks after vaccination.

Why should I get a flu shot again this year?

As the flu virus evolves, last year’s vaccination may not protect you from this year’s strand of flu virus. Patient First offers flu shots directed toward four main flu viruses, the H1N1 virus, the H3N2 Virus, the influenza B and an additional B virus.

Who should get the flu shot?

The CDC recommends that anyone over the age of six months should receive a vaccination. Some people are at a higher risk of developing influenza related complications and should definitely be vaccinated. This includes children younger than five years of age, adults over 65 years of age, and pregnant women. Those who have medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, blood disorders, kidney disorders, liver disorders, or a weakened immune system due to disease or medication may also be at a higher risk and should be vaccinated. The standard flu shot may not be appropriate for everyone. There are specific vaccinations for people allergic to eggs and also a high-dose flu vaccine for those who are over the age of 65.

When should I get a flu shot?

Flu vaccinations are offered throughout the season. However, the best way to prevent the flu is to be vaccinated as early as possible. Don’t wait until you’ve started noticing symptoms to get your flu shot. Vaccination may take up to two weeks to be effective, therefore you should get your flu shot before the flu virus is in your area. The CDC recommends everyone receive their flu shot by the end of October.

Where can I get a flu shot?

Speak with your health care provider about getting a flu shot. Patient First offers a Fast Track Flu Program where you may get your flu shot with little or no wait time. You may walk into any center from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to receive your flu shot. To find a center near you, please visit our locations page.

Related Articles

We would love to learn what would be helpful on this page for you.

Articles by tag

2020 2021-top-workplace 4th-of-July 5-star-physician ACLS AED air-purification allentown Allergies announcement Antibiotics anxiety Aspen Hill coming soon Asthma award awards back-to-school baltimore baltimore-child baltimore's-child baltimore-sun beach bedside-manner bel-air Best of Best urgent care Best urgent care VA beach best-for-families Bestof best-of best-of-2019 Best-of-2020 best-of-award best-of-awards bestofcountytimes Best-of-Jewish-times-winner Best-Urgent-Care Best-urgent-Care-Bowie-Blade-News best-workplace bethlehem Biking Black-Friday blog Blood-Donation BLS Blueberries Camping capital-gazette careers CDC Cholesterol Circadian-Rhythm Cold cold-prevention colon-cancer concussion coronavirus covid-19 COVID-19-Test CPR cramp-prevention Dehydration dental-health Depression Dermatitis Diabetes Drowning Drug Screening Dry-Skin eastern-pa easton Eating-Disorder employees employment Ergonomics E-Scooter exercise eye-health face-mask fall fall-sports Farmer's-Market First-Aid Fitness Flu flu-season flu-shots food-storage food-swaps football For Men For Parents For Women for-moms for-parents fredericksburg Gastrointestinal General Generation-X-Health Gift-Ideas Goals Halloween hand-foot-and-mouth Hand-Washing Hanukkah harrisburg headache Head-Lice Health Healthcare Health-History health-symptoms Healthy Living healthy-eating healthy-living healthy-swaps Heart heart-disease Heart-Health Heat heat-exhaustion heat-safety hiking holiday Holidays horizonBCBS horizon-blue-shield Humidifier hydration Illness inclusivity Inclusivity & Accessibility inclusivity-&-accessability injury-prevention Insect-Stings Insurance jetlag jobs Kidney Kwanzaa Laughter lehigh-valley life-support-class Lightning maryland Mask meal-prep mechanicsburg medical-records melanoma Memory Retention memory-retention Men's-Health mental-health Migrane millennial Millennials montco montco-pa montgomery-county montgomery-county-pa Mood Improvement Movember MRSA new jersey new-center new-jersey new-year New-Year's northern-va northern-virginia nova Nutrition Obesity Occupational Health ocean-safety osteoporosis outdoors Paddle-Sports PALS parenting parenting-tips parent-tips patient-first pennsylvania pets philadelphia philly physicals poison-ivy poison-prevention Power-Outage Pregnancy probiotics Productivity Protein recipe recipes registration resolutions richmond River running Safety Safety Tips safety-tips Seasonal-Affective-Disorder shin-splings sickness-prevention simply-the-best skin sleep Smoke-Detector Smoking Snow soccer sore-throat south-jersey sports Sports-Physicals spotsylvania Spring spring-cleaning St.-Patrick's-Day stafford Stitches strep Strep-Throat stress stress-managment Stroke summer summer-sports Sunburn Sunglasses Sun-Safety sunscreen Swimmer's-Ear swimming TBI Teal-Pumpkin Teething Thyroid tick tips-for-parents top-physicians top-workplace traveling-tips travel-tips Travel-Vaccines urgent-care Urinary-health vacation vaccinations vaccines Valentine's-Day Valentines-Day Video Vitamin-D volunteering Walking washington-dc washington-post washington-post-2019 Water-Sports Weight-Lifting Wellness Winter Workouts Yard-Work Yearly-Physical