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Ask a doctor when the best time is to get your annual flu shot, and they’re likely to tell you that it doesn’t matter when it you get it—just that you get vaccinated.
But there is a sweet spot to optimize your immunity.
When is the optimal time to get the flu shot?
Flu season lasts from October to May, and cases in the U.S. peak from December to February. That’s why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people get their flu vaccine by the end of October, since it takes the immune system about two weeks to rev up its maximum response to the vaccine. This means generating sufficient immune cells—including antibodies—against the virus. “The perfect time to get vaccinated against flu is right before cases start to take off,” says Dr. Kawsar Talaat, associate professor in international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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But the reality is that pharmacies, clinics, and doctors’ offices can’t accommodate everyone flooding in at the same time. So if you’re at the pharmacy and there’s no line in September, there’s no reason not to get vaccinated.
“We have seen flu circulate as early as October, so it’s not too early to get vaccinated now,” says Talaat. And while protection from the vaccine starts to wane after three to four months, “it doesn’t go down to zero.” Even if your protection starts to fade, you will still be protected.
There are some exceptions to that guidance, says Dr. Robert Jacobson, professor of pediatrics at Mayo Clinic. Children under nine years old who are getting vaccinated for flu for the first time need two doses, spaced a month apart. For them, starting in late July or August makes sense, especially if parents want their children to be vaccinated before the start of the school year. Anyone age 65 or older should also consider getting vaccinated in late summer as well, since influenza does start circulating…
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