Now’s a good time to get those flu and COVID shots

Published on Sunday, September 1, 2024

By: Gary Pettus, gpettus@umc.edu

Flu season in Mississippi is about to begin, while COVID, it seems, is a virus for all seasons.

Vaccines for both are available, and it’s safe to get them at the same time; in fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that public health officials encourage people to do so during one visit as a way to increase vaccination rates.

As for the flu shot, “sometimes people are tempted to wait because they think it will protect them longer and into the season’s peak, but it’s hard to guess when that peak will arrive,” said Dr. Brian Williams, associate professor of preventive medicine and the medical director of Student and Employee Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The typical peak, reports the Mississippi State Department of Health, is January through March in Mississippi. “But it can be early some years, and late for others.” said Williams, who recommends that most people take care of it early on, since the vaccine will provide protection through most of the season.

“In Mississippi, the flu season is October 1 through March 31,” said Dr. Sanzida Swarna, a preventive medicine resident at UMMC.

Which flu shot you get, and how often you get one, may depend on your age, she said. “For people 65 and over, there is a high-dose flu shot called Fluad.”

On its website, the CDC cites studies indicating that Fluad provides greater protection against flu-related hospitalizations for those 65 and older, compared with the standard dose vaccine. Other vaccines recommended for this age group are Fluzone and Flublok.  

For their part, children should get two doses of the regular flu shot – “especially if it’s the first time ever that they’re receiving it,” Williams said.

Also, children aged 6 months through 8 years should receive two doses if, previously, they had received only one, the CDC recommends. Two doses are also advisable for children whose flu vaccination record is unknown.

It’s best for children to get the first one as soon as it’s available because they will need the second dose at least four weeks afterward. With rare exceptions, everyone 6 months and older should receive a flu shot every year, the CDC recommends.

Many retail and grocery store pharmacies offer the flu shot, which is usually free if you have health insurance, Swarna said. You can also receive the flu vaccine from your health provider, including those at UMMC.

As for COVID-19, the disease everyone wants to forget is still a threat, although it’s less deadly these days compared to three or four years ago.

While COVID, unlike the flu, seems to lack a defined season, it has been washing over us with renewed vigor in waves – one in summer and one in winter. This past July and August were highly active, Williams said.

“There is evidence that immunity to COVID is building,” he said. “Some of it is immunity from vaccines, in addition to natural immunity from infection. The sad fact is that many of the people who were most vulnerable to COVID probably have died within the last few years.

“It’s still capable of killing people under the right circumstances, but we are better at detecting and treating it now, and reducing the risks.”

One way to potentially reduce the risk is to get the vaccine – and updated ones rolled out recently, after the FDA approved them in August.

“It’s worth updating your vaccine if you haven’t gotten one that became available in late 2020 and early 2021,” Williams said, “especially if you have a higher risk of serious illness.”

COVID’s menace is strengthened by a weakened immune system. Underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, among others, compromise defenses. Older adults, too, are more likely to wax very ill from COVID.

“You can get a vaccine from national pharmacy chains,” Williams said. “Because demand is low, and because the public health emergency ended, the best bet is with a chain because they have more available.”

If you are uninsured or your insurance plan doesn’t cover COVID shots, you may schedule an appointment with the Mississippi State Department of Health for a free vaccination.

Beyond the vaccine, Paxlovid, available by prescription only, is proven to be an effective treatment – following an infection, Williams said.

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