09/18/2025
You can now walk in for a flu-shot.
Things to know about the 2025-2026 flu shots
✅️They are all trivalent, containing 3 components to protect against 3 main groups of circulating seasonal influenza viruses.
✅️They are all preservative-free.
✅️The best times to get vaccinated against the flu are in September and October, although you can get it in July or August based on personal choice or your provider’s recommendation.
✅️Most insurance plans cover the annual flu vaccination as preventive care so that you don’t have to pay for it. It is also available at a low cost if you do not have insurance.
✅️The flu shot can be given at the same time as other vaccines (live or non-live).
✅️Common reactions to the flu shot include injection site reactions such as soreness, warmth, and, in some cases, slight swelling. You can also have headaches and/or body aches and pains. These reactions usually last less than 2 days. Tylenol is best to take for these reactions as it does not have anti-inflammatory effects, allowing you to mount the maximum immune response.
✅️Getting a yearly flu shot is the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.
The Nasal Flu Vaccine (FluMist)
✅️Recommended for healthy people ages 2 through 49.
✅️It is a live-attenuated vaccine, meaning the virus is still alive but has been weakened to prevent a flu infection after administration.
✅️The 2025-2026 formulation is also trivalent and preservative free.
✅️It can be self-administered or given by another person.
✅️It can be given at the same time as other vaccines (live or non-live). If it is NOT given at the same time as another LIVE vaccine, they should be spaced at least 4 weeks apart.
✅️The nasal flu vaccine is not recommended in pregnancy, children younger than 2 years old, adults 50 years and older, people with a history of severe allergic reaction to it or to a previous dose of any flu vaccine, children 2 through 17 years old who are receiving aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications and people who are immunocompromised.
✅️It is also contraindicated in certain chronic conditions. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you use this formulation.