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When is Best to Get Your Annual Flu Vaccination?

January 19, 2021 • 4:50 pm CST
(Precision Vaccinations News)

Annual flu shots are recommended in the USA for all individuals aged ≥6 months by the U.S. CDC. But the optimal timing of vaccination remains a subject of debate. Mounting evidence that vaccine-induced immunity wanes over the course of an influenza season suggests that early vaccination (July and August) may result in suboptimal protection before the end of the flu season.

To better understand this issue, researchers published a study in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal on January 19, 2021, which observed decreased effectiveness of influenza vaccines with increasing time since vaccination for prevention of influenza A(H3N2), influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, and influenza B(Yamagata)-associated hospitalizations among adults.

The maximum vaccine effectiveness (VE) was observed shortly after vaccination from 2015-2016 to 2018-2019, followed by an absolute decline in VE of about 8 to 9% per month post-vaccination.

These researchers concluded this study stating, 'The public health implications of these findings warrant closer examination because even a 1-2 month delay in annual vaccination could improve VE by 10 to 20%. If such an approach does not encroach on the annual influenza season, delay vaccine delivery, or reduce vaccine uptake, it could lead to appreciable gains in public health benefits given the large burden of influenza morbidity and mortality.'

Medical Review by

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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