Flu Vaccine Information
Should You Wait a Full Year Between Flu Shots?
At the heart of today’s blog is a common question about vaccination and immunity, essentially: how long does flu immunity last after vaccination? To begin our discussion, anyone who has received a flu vaccine during their life or contracted the flu in their life will have some immunity, but that background immunity isn’t the strongest…
Read MorePregnant Women and Flu Vaccines
You want to protect yourself and your baby from getting sick. That protection can start during pregnancy. By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself, your baby, and improve the health of your pregnancy. One Vaccine Protects Two People Flu shots during pregnancy reduce the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant people by 50%, which…
Read MoreDifference Between Flu Shots for Seniors vs. Regular Flu Shots
People ages 65 and older are recommended to receive a flu vaccine that is specially formulated for their age. As we get older, our immune systems aren’t as strong, which is why a stronger vaccine is needed. For people 65+, there is a greater chance of getting sick, hospitalized, or dying from the flu. Those…
Read MoreWhen was the Flu Vaccine Invented?
Flu vaccines have been around for a long time, and their development started almost 100 years ago! Below, we outline the flu vaccine development timeline: The 1930s: Scientists isolated the influenza A virus from animals to study the virus and learn how it can be weakened/killed to create a vaccine. Early 1940s: Jonas Salk, MD…
Read MoreFlu Vaccine Q&A – COVID-19 Booster & Flu Shots Simultaneously
As an organization that has been discussing and advocating for flu vaccines for 17 years and counting, we’ve heard every question imaginable. With COVID-19 vaccines on people’s minds, we want to help you get the answers you need to safely get vaccinated. Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as…
Read MoreFears of a Twindemic: Don’t Delay Flu and COVID-19 Vaccinations
Last year, Families Fighting Flu and health officials warned of a “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu. The fear was that as cases of COVID-19 continued to rise, and we were awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine, flu would also spread and there wouldn’t be enough hospital beds, ICU beds, ECMO machines, or ventilators. Thankfully, that never happened.…
Read MoreFAQs: Are There Different Types of Flu Vaccines?
As we hear about several COVID-19 vaccinations becoming available from different companies, it has brought to light more questions about flu vaccines. In this post, we’ll answer common questions about the flu shot from our Facebook and Twitter communities. Are there different types of flu vaccines? Yes, there are different kinds of flu vaccines approved by the FDA. Flu…
Read MoreFAQs: Is the Flu Vaccine Safe?
FAQs: Is the Flu Vaccine Safe? It is important to get your annual flu vaccine to reduce your risk of flu illness, symptoms, and severe complications. But many members of our Facebook and Twitter communities have questions about vaccine safety. Safety is the number one focus in making vaccines. The CDC and the FDA continuously…
Read MoreHow COVID-19 Underscores the Importance of Public Confidence in Vaccines
Serese Marotta, Chief Operating Officer for Families Fighting Flu, shares her perspective on the importance of influenza vaccination. This post was originally published on The Catalyst. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic was a blip on the radar for most people. For many Americans, life went on without skipping a beat, with little impact to their daily…
Read MoreDoes the Flu Vaccine Work?
We often hear that people do not get the flu vaccine because of they think it doesn’t work – they still got the flu! But did you know that flu vaccine effectiveness also looks at protection against hospitalization and even death? Flu vaccination benefits: a look at 2019-2020 Based on studies, preliminary flu vaccine effectiveness…
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