- It's flu season, and CVS says now is the time to get vaccinated.
- There are two options that can help protect yourself from the flu.
- To schedule your flu or COVID vaccine, visit the CVS website or Kern County Public Health website.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Gonzalves Ntwali, district leader at CVS Health, says now is the time to get the flu vaccine.
“Students are going back to school, holidays are coming up, people are getting together and so it will be very important for everyone to get protected from the virus during this season,” said Ntwali. “The CDC recommended to get the flu vaccines early in the fall, and get it by the end of October, just because the flu virus season peaks at some point in December, January and so we want our people to be protected ahead of time.”
If needles aren’t your thing, there’s another option.
The FluMist, or influenza vaccine live intranasal.
In comparison with the flu injection, Ntwali said, “They are both equally effective per CDC. The difference is that the flu mist is administered through the nose. Other vaccines are injectable and of course, flu virus vaccines are usually inactive viruses, whereas the FluMist is a weakened, activated virus.”
Despite the FluMist containing a weakened live influenza virus, Ntwali says neither the flu mist or flu shot can give you the flu.
“The CDC recommends the flu vaccines for everybody eligible for it so that we can protect the community as much as possible,” said Ntwali.
In late September, 2024, the FDA approved the FluMist for self or caregiver administration, but this option isn’t expected to be available until the next flu season.
If you decide to go with the FluMist, your local pharmacist may have to order it. But the flu isn’t the only virus to look out for.
“We do anticipate a busy season as last year and nowadays we talk about different viruses– COVID, flu viruses, and RSV,” said Ntwali. “So it is important for everybody to be aware of it and then get protected as much as possible.”
Even if you’ve had the original COVID injection, Ntwali still encourages the community to get the updated vaccine.
“The new COVID vaccine is not a booster. It is actually a vaccine made with the most updated virus to protect [against] COVID,” said Ntwali. “The longer people have gotten the last vaccines, the protections tend to be less, and so we encourage people to continue to get the vaccines.”
According to the CDC, studies support the safety of getting both the flu and COVID vaccines at the same time.
“Some of the side effects after getting the flu vaccine will include soreness at the site of injection, patients can have low fever, patients may feel sick, but those symptoms resolve on their own within a couple days,” said Ntwali.
Ntwali says that most insurance companies cover the flu and covid vaccines, but there is also an option to pay with cash.
It is advised to speak with your health provider about which form of flu vaccine is right for you. Additional information on who should get a flu vaccine is available on the CDC website.
To schedule your flu or COVID vaccine, visit the CVS website or Kern County Public Health website.
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