Yes, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time

Flu season is quickly approaching, with flu activity often beginning to increase in October.

The best way to protect yourself from respiratory diseases like the flu and COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Some people online are wondering if they can get both shots at the same time.

THE QUESTION

Is it safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot at the same time?

THE SOURCES

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dan Uslan, M.D., chief infection prevention officer at UCLA Health
• Payal Kohli, M.D., associate adjunct professor in the cardiology division at Duke University, associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz and founder of Cherry Creek Heart
• Saralyn Mark, M.D., former senior medical advisor to The White House

THE ANSWER

Yes, it’s safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot at the same time. 

WHAT WE FOUND

It’s safe to get the flu vaccine, which is also known as the flu shot, and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, according to health experts. Getting more than one vaccine at once, which is called co-administration, is a common practice.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine during the same visit if a person is eligible and the timing for each vaccine is right. 

Dan Uslan, M.D., chief infection prevention officer at UCLA Health, also says both shots can be administered at the same time. 

According to a CDC study published in July 2022, there were no safety concerns associated with giving the COVID shot and the flu shot at the same time. People who participated in the study and received both vaccines at the same time had a slightly higher rate of reactions like fatigue, headache and muscle aches as compared to people who got only a COVID shot, but these reactions were mostly mild and went away quickly.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccines that are designed to more closely target recent virus strains on Aug. 22, 2024. 

The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, including people who have received a vaccine before and people who have had the virus. 

People who have recently had COVID don’t need to get their updated vaccine right away. In this case, the CDC says you can consider delaying your next vaccine dose by three months. 

The exact timing and duration of flu seasons varies. However, since flu activity often begins to increase in October, it’s best to get the flu shot before the end of that month. Flu activity typically peaks between December and February, though significant activity can last as late as May.

The “sweet spot” for getting a flu shot is typically early October, Payal Kohli, M.D., told VERIFY, so people can begin scheduling their vaccine appointments now. 

Kohli does recommend that people get the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine in different arms in case of potential side effects like muscle soreness, though it’s not required.

People who will be in high-risk situations, such as public gatherings or travel, may want to get their vaccines sooner rather than later since it takes about two weeks to generate a maximum immune response, Saralyn Mark, M.D., told VERIFY.