At what age should you get the flu vaccine

Many people get the flu vaccine in winter because it can prevent influenza and improve their immunity. Both adults and children can get the vaccine, which does not cause much harm to the body. However, children may have a fever when they get the flu vaccine. So, at what age is it most appropriate to get the flu vaccine?

At what age can children get the flu vaccine?

Babies should be at least six months old before they can get the flu vaccine. It is necessary to give babies over 6 months old, preferably 1 year old, a flu vaccine because children have poorer immune abilities. Vaccinating babies with the flu vaccine can protect the body. For babies under 6 months old, there is no need for vaccination because they still have antibodies brought from their mothers after birth and they have not disappeared yet.

Existing influenza vaccines cannot be directly administered to infants under 6 months old. Influenza can be prevented by vaccinating the mother during pregnancy and the infant's family members and caregivers.

Priority recipients for influenza vaccination

Influenza vaccine is a Class II vaccine in my country and is voluntary and at one’s own expense. In principle, vaccination units should provide immunization services to all people aged ≥ 6 months who are willing to be vaccinated and have no contraindications. Those who wish to receive the influenza vaccine should go to a vaccination site that is designated by the local health administration department, announced to the public and is qualified to give the vaccine.

When should you get the flu vaccine?

It is understood that the best time to get influenza vaccination is 1-2 months before the influenza epidemic.

In my country, influenza epidemics mainly occur from November of each year to around March of the following year, so influenza vaccinations are generally scheduled from September to November each year. Of course, climate change varies from place to place, so the timing of vaccination will also vary.

For example, in areas south of the Yangtze River, the weather gets cold late, so the vaccination time is concentrated in October-December; in Guangdong, vaccination starts in September and lasts to February of the following year.

Although the best time to get a flu shot is before a flu epidemic, people can still get a flu shot to get protection during a flu epidemic.

This is because the influenza vaccine can spontaneously produce antibodies 10-15 days after vaccination, so it is okay to get the influenza vaccine even during the peak influenza season in November and December. Everyone can plan the vaccination time according to their actual situation.

It should be noted that it is best to vaccinate infants and young children aged 6 months to 3 years old with influenza vaccine in advance, and it should be a child-specific vaccine. Infants and young children need to be vaccinated with the flu vaccine twice to provide optimal protection, with a month between the two doses, so parents should plan the time to give their babies the flu vaccine.