My office is having a flu vaccination clinic (the traditional one, not Bacon Lung) on the 26th. Knowing this, I’ve held off trying to get a shot elsewhere in the interim.
The county health department will have the H1N1 shot available that same week. As a higher-risk person (asthma, and the last time I had flu it made me really ill), I’m well-advised to get that as well.
So - the question is: are there any cites regarding whether it’s OK, from an effectiveness standpoint, to get the two within a few days of each other? Would I be likelier to have a bad reaction to the second one? Would one affect how well the other one “takes”?
I know a lot of childhood vaccines are given in multiple doses at the same visit and that appears to give OK immunity to the assorted diseases, so I’m hoping the flu vaccines work similarly.
I asked my pharmacist about this when I got my flu shot. She said there was requirement for a gap between the H1N1 and regular flu shot, in fact you can get the both in the same sitting.
Cite for a requirement (besides your pharmacist) for a gap, griffin1977? I don’t believe there is any such. CDC agrees with me too.
The only exception is that the live attenuated vaccines (nasal spray vaccines) should not be given at the same time. Details about that may be found in the link above. But the basic shots are okay together.
Indeed should have read:
She said there was **no ** requirement for a gap between the H1N1 and regular flu shot, in fact you can get the both in the same sitting.
My rheumatologist also advised me this past week to get both, and said there was no problem with getting them in same week. I’m on immunosuppressant meds. I’m one of those lucky people who get sick about every 40 years. But, he told me, in no uncertain words, get the shots. The flu could kill me.