It’s that time of year again.
Fall means kids are back in school, people are spending more time around each other and cold and flu season is just around the corner.
And these infections can be more than just a nuisance. They can be debilitating and, in some cases, deadly.
With flu and COVID vaccines now being advertised at pharmacies across South Florida, many people are wondering: Is now the right time to get the shot?
Experts say it depends on your risk.
“If you are around a lot of people, especially kids, who are great at sharing their viral loads, as school teachers well know, then you want to think about getting the vaccine sooner rather than later,” said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert.
Flu season generally runs from October through March, and it takes about 10 days after vaccination to reach maximum protection.
Dr. Marty says the current flu vaccine is safe and effective. But for people 50 and older, another option is coming soon.
Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine was recently approved and uses the same technology as the COVID vaccine.
That means it can be quickly modified and produced as the flu virus mutates. In clinical trials, it was 27% more effective.
When it comes to COVID, timing is also something to consider.
“If you were to go get a shot today in South Florida for COVID, it’s not the most recent formulation,” Marty said.
The current shot is being billed as a booster and can be especially helpful for people at high risk.
But for everyone else, Marty says waiting could mean getting better-timed protection.
“But everybody else should wait until it is cold, flu and COVID season because that way you are going to get the vaccine that is now going to have the exact genetic makeup for the subtype that we think will dominate this season,” she said.
The bottom line: Know your risk.
Age, weight and underlying health conditions can all play a role in how vulnerable you are.
And the goal is to get protected before flu and COVID season reaches its peak.
“The vaccines are going to protect you from diseases that can not only make you miserable for a few days or a few weeks, but can give you long-term complications,” Marty said.
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