LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For many of us, fall means football, sweater weather, and the seasonal flu. But now we also have COVID-19 to worry about.
October is a popular time for people to get their flu shots. At the same time, booster doses of the COVID vaccine are becoming available to more people.
Some doctors have said it's okay to get both shots at the same time. So, is it true that you don’t need to space out your flu and COVID booster shots?
Our sources
- Dr. Hugh Shoff, associate chief medical officer with University of Louisville Hospital.
- Kristen Nordlund, a spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What we found
According to Dr. Shoff, there’s no need to space out your flu and COVID shots, whether it’s your initial dose or a booster shot.
“You can get both vaccines at the same time," he said. "It's different vaccines for different diseases. So when you inject these vaccines into you, you receive the injection, your body's creating antibodies to two different diseases.”
The CDC agrees. In an email to Verify, Kristen Nordlund says getting both your flu and COVID vaccines at the same time isn’t just convenient, it’s recommended.
“Coadministration of all recommended vaccines is important because it increases the probability that people will be fully vaccinated,” said Nordlund.
“The important part is just getting the vaccine,” added Dr. Shoff.
So we can Verify this is true: You don’t have to space out your flu and COVID vaccines.
And yes, you may feel less than a hundred percent for a few days after those shots, but health experts say you’ll be far better off than if you came down with the flu or COVID.
Their takeaway--get vaccinated.
Contact reporter Paula Vasan at pvasan@whas11.com on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.