Published: Aug. 29, 2023, 7:16 a.m.
Flu season typically runs from October to May with a peak from December to February. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinations should ideally take place September to October or “as long as influenza viruses are circulating.” (Photo Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital)
By Leada Gore
Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated against the flu this year and, due to a change in guidance, the process will be more accessible for those with a common allergy.
Flu season typically runs from October to May with a peak from December to February. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinations should ideally take place from September to October or “as long as influenza viruses are circulating.”
There are exceptions to the fall timeline, including pregnant women who are in their third trimester during September and October, and children 6 months through 8 years who require two doses of the vaccine. People in those groups should get their first dose as soon as the vaccine is available.
Any available vaccine is recommended for people ages 6 months to 64 years old. People ages 65 and older should get one of the higher-dose versions of the vaccine: quadrivalent high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine, quadrivalent recombinant influenza vaccine or quadrivalent adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine.
Some children need two shots
Some children under age 9 will require two different flu shots four weeks apart.
The number is determined by the child’s vaccination history, the CDC said. If a child is age 9 or younger and is getting the flu vaccine for the first time or only had one dose prior to July 1, 2021, they should receive two doses given at least four weeks apart.
Children ages 9 or older should receive one dose. One dose is also enough if your child is younger than 9 but has two or more flu vaccine doses given at least four weeks apart at any point before July 1, 2021, whether they were given in the same flu season or in consecutive years.
This year’s change
The one big change this year has to do with people who are allergic to eggs.
New CDC guidance states that no additional safety measures are needed for those who have egg allergies and that any version of the vaccine “that is otherwise appropriate for the recipient’s age and health status can be used,” regardless of whether it is egg-based or non-egg-based.
“Beginning with the 2023-2024 season, additional safety measures are no longer recommended for flu vaccination of people with an egg allergy beyond those recommended for receipt of any vaccine, regardless of the severity of previous reaction to egg,” the CDC said in its recommendations.
The CDC had previously recommended people with egg allergies avoid some egg-based vaccines or that healthcare providers take extra precautions when administering the vaccines.
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