Can you get a flu shot even if it hasn’t been one whole year since your last?

[Ginevra]

Last year I got a flu shot at the pharmacy in November. It was basically a whim; I saw the sign for free flu shots, was there anyway, intended to get one and so I got it at that time. That was the first time I had gotten one and now it seems so prescient because COVID came on the scene. (One less illness to worry about.) 

I want to get another one this year but I don’t want to wait until Nov because of CV, because of whatever unrest may ensue after November 3 and because I gather there could be a shortage of flu shots this year. Do they care if it has not been one whole year? 

[hippiemamato3]

It's possible your insurance company might care, but otherwise I don't think it would be an issue. 

[Kassia]

Great question!  I never even thought about that! 

[Pawz4me]

We never pay any attention to the timing and ours have always been covered by insurance. I suspect they look at flu shots as a seasonal thing rather than a wait-at-least-a-year thing. It would be easy enough to call and ask. 

[Tap]

Not a problem at all. The insurance company won't care either.  I bill hundreds (sometimes thousands) of them a year and have never had a single problem in this regard. Each year it is a different formulation, so you haven't had this exact flu shot before. 

There is expected to be a big rush on flu shots this year, so to avoid shortages, get it as soon as possible. This will also help to avoid delays by waiting till late fall, when we expect massive amounts of people.  They used to say to wait until late fall, to make the efficacy last longer in to spring, but now they want everyone to get it early to really encourage heard immunity.  Everyone in my family who gets one, has already gotten theirs and so have all my pharmacy palls. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Tap

[Shoeless]

Yes, you canget another shot.  The shot from November is a different strain of flu.  You're insurance won't care.  

[rebcoola]

I think so we have never paid attention to the date and just got it done or not whenever.  We just got them at the pharmacy and they didn't ask when we last had one.

[Guest]

Thanks so much, everyone! I will get it done this week. 

[ktgrok]

Thank you for asking, I'd been wondering! 

I got mine last last season, like...January. So same calendar year and was concerned if it would be covered. 

[PrincessMommy]

A dr. friend of mine gets it twice in one year.  I think he gets it twice at the same time but I don't know for sure.  I only know because it came up in a discussion with other friends and they mentioned him getting jabbed twice.  

[Katy]

The year of the swine flu pandemic I had two regular jabs and one swine flu jab in 3 months.  It was a work thing, everyone at the hospital got that, and it was considered fine from a health perspective. 

Most insurance companies cover vaccines without looking at how recently you got one, but generally from a health perspective one time per flu season is called for, and everyone would prefer you get yours in August or September rather than January.  I have read somewhere (but I can't remember if it was a credible source) that there has been some consideration of changing the recommendation for the elderly and the overweight to two times per flu season.

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Tap said:

There is expected to be a big rush on flu shots this year, so to avoid shortages, get it as soon as possible. This will also help to avoid delays by waiting till late fall, when we expect massive amounts of people.  They used to say to wait until late fall, to make the efficacy last longer in to spring, but now they want everyone to get it early to really encourage heard immunity.  Everyone in my family who gets one, has already gotten theirs and so have all my pharmacy palls. 

Ugh! I was planning to get it early, but I didn't think we'd need to do it asap since I don't think my DH's workplace has even offered them yet (they are usually the earliest). Yikes. Thanks for the speaking up. 😬

[Tap]

42 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Ugh! I was planning to get it early, but I didn't think we'd need to do it asap since I don't think my DH's workplace has even offered them yet (they are usually the earliest). Yikes. Thanks for the speaking up. 😬

We are already vaccinating 20-30 people a day in the pharmacy (we started in August). My other job (hospital) started vaxing employees this week. Unless you need to wait for his employer to get yours as well, I would go get it done ASAP. If C-19 outbreaks get bad, it may get hard to get flu shots at community pharmacies due to distancing restrictions. Remember when C-19 first hit and there were lines to get into stores....then add 15 minutes extra for each person due to waiting on a shot.  The stores will probably have to move vaccinating outside to the parking lot.

If this happens, the extra work load on medical offices, will get really congested/complicated.

[kbutton]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

We are already vaccinating 20-30 people a day in the pharmacy (we started in August). My other job (hospital) started vaxing employees this week. Unless you need to wait for his employer to get yours as well, I would go get it done ASAP. If C-19 outbreaks get bad, it may get hard to get flu shots at community pharmacies due to distancing restrictions. Remember when C-19 first hit and there were lines to get into stores....then add 15 minutes extra for each person due to waiting on a shot.  The stores will probably have to move vaccinating outside to the parking lot.

If this happens, the extra work load on medical offices, will get really congested/complicated.

We don't have to wait for his employer, but they are so early that I thought we'd do it about the same time and still be super early. We'll try to get to it in the next couple of days.

[sassenach]

It doesn't matter if it's been less than a year. We get them at all different times of the year, depending on how together I am. This year we're definitely getting everyone done asap. Three down, two to go. I'm getting the next one done on Monday. My 18yo is being squirrely, and to be fair, his schedule is completely packed right now, but I'm trying to get him in soon. Kaiser is doing a drive through flu clinic.

[MEmama]

I had mine at the very beginning of the month (usually I get it in Oct or Nov). When DH and DS had theirs last weekend, a woman behind them in line reported that several area pharmacies had already run out. My doctor told me EVERYONE is getting it this year.