The Benefits of Getting Your Flu Shot Early

Even if you feel healthy, when the flu strikes, you can be knocked off your routine and even off your feet. Very few people can afford to miss days or weeks of their lives due to the flu. A simple shot now stops that from happening.

Last year’s flu is not this year’s flu. And this year’s flu shot isn’t last year’s, either. The influenza virus continually mutates. Even if you had a flu shot last year, it won’t protect you this year.

Flu season usually begins as early as October. It peaks in December or January and then extends into the early spring. Getting your flu shot in September or October, rather than later, helps keep you protected for that entire time.

Board-certified Internist Dr. Manzoor Kazi of Palm Desert Urgent Care in Palm Desert, CA, strongly encourages you to get your flu shot in September or October. You can also get a flu shot and COVID booster simultaneously.

Why should you get your flu shot early? The following are some of the most important reasons why.

A flu shot reduces symptoms

A flu vaccine’s effectiveness depends partly on how well the vaccine's viruses match the ones circulating among the population. People who received the 2023 flu vaccine were approximately 40-70% less likely to be hospitalized because of flu or its complications than those who didn’t get a flu shot.

Flu shots need a couple of weeks

Flu shots train your body to fight the influenza virus. It usually takes your body about two weeks to build an effective immune response against the current virus.

When you get your flu shot now, you’re ready to be exposed to the flu for the first time. If you wait too long to get your shot, you may be exposed to the virus when your body is still in the midst of trying to create an effective immune response. Or, if you wait too long, you may not be protected at all.

Flu shots protect your family and friends

When you get a flu shot, you’re less likely to infect your family, friends, and co-workers with the flu. The effectiveness of a flu shot — or any immunization — is increased when most community members receive it. When more people are immunized against the virus, it can’t spread through the population as easily.

Flu shots offer other protections

Flu shots strengthen your immune system. They also prevent you from coming down with the flu and COVID-19 simultaneously. And, if you already have health conditions, a flu shot can give you other benefits, too, such as:

Reduces risk of cardiac events if you have cardiovascular disease
Reduces hospitalizations if you have diabetes or chronic lung disease
Protects a child in your womb, even months after it’s born

In addition, a flu shot could save your life. If you have a chronic condition, especially an autoimmune disorder, exposure to influenza without a vaccine could be deadly.

Even if you miss your flu shot in September or October, it’s not too late to protect yourself for the rest of the season. Call our office or request an appointment online to book your family’s immunizations today. In most cases, the flu shot is free.