In the Who’s been vaccinated? thread, I noticed some people have been getting the flu shot with their COVID-19 shots. And I have questions. I almost put them in the original thread, but thought a new thread might be warranted.
Then you may learn about something I’m wondering about. (Same for @needscoffee). Would getting them at the same time result in any worse side effects? (By side effects I mean the immune response, basically, where you feel sick for a bit.)
I’d love to know the following from you guys, or anyone else who gets both at the same time:
What are your usual side effects from the flu shot?
Which vaccine did you get and what were your side effects for your previous shots?
What are the side effects now, and how severe are they compared to the previous two questions?
To be clear, I just received the geezer high dose edition of the influenza vaccine, I did not get a Covid vaccine at the same time. I’m waiting for the direct public health recommendation and then I will hustle to get my booster. I’m fully vaccinated with the Pfizer.
As far as my flu vaccination, 24 hours later my reaction is pretty typical for me-slight soreness and warmth at the injection site. I notice if I roll over on that side in my sleep. The second dose of the Pfizer left me with more of a reaction than the first dose, a headache, fatigue and more soreness, so more systemic.
I’ve had both the flu and Covid vaccinations but I was emphatically told to leave at least two weeks between them, I had the Astra Zeneca vaccine so the spacing may be a specific requirement for that one
Ah, I read your post incorrectly. When you said you got vaccinated, I took as given that you meant the COVID-19 shot, and that the “with the annual flu shot” meant you got both. I know there was some talk of combining the two in the future, so it would make sense that some might do it now, rather than wait the 2 weeks @steepone mentions.
And that is exactly why I was curious, too. I’ve been wondering how well the combination of the two would actually go. The decreased hassle would be something I’d appreciate.
Right now, due to masking/vaccine compliance issues and the high incidence around me, I’m not really ready to go out and get the flu shots where I could normally easily get them. These come from pharmacies—the cheapest being one that inside a bigger store. The risk is currently too high for my comfort. I don’t want to even get mild COVID-19. Even if I can manage the flu-like symptoms, the taste and smell issues sound absolutely horrible.
Yes, I’m also curious. Does getting them both at once make you feel twice as crappy the next day? I usually feel pretty icky twenty-four hours after a flu shot, and my Covid booster made me feel very crummy.
If I am reading this link right, there is almost no flu for a second season in the southern hemisphere. That is good news, except if it does somehow get a foothold up here and explode, it seems unlikely that the version we picked for the vaccine will be the dominant one, making the vaccine less effective (still getting one, of course)
When I got the flu shot 2 days ago, one of the questions was “Have you had any other vaccines in the last 3 weeks?” They didn’t indicate whether it made any difference.
In case it wasn’t clear, this was only a flu shot. I’ve had my 2 covid shots since March.
I’ve felt no side effects, BTW. I don’t think I’ve felt any from a flu shot.
One important point a lot of people miss is that the wrong flu vaccine is less effective, not completely ineffective. In other words, instead of turning a flu from three weeks into nothing, it might turn it from three weeks into three days. Which is still extremely helpful.
I had gotten the Pfizer vaccines back in February/March. Last Tuesday I got the annual flu shot with no particular effects (slight soreness at the injection site for a few days). Last month I asked my liver specialist about the booster shot and she said she would check to see if I qualified, but I haven’t heard from her yet. One of the items on my to-do list is the shingles vaccine, which I had been told should not not be taken within two weeks of any other vaccines.
I sure hope they keep an option for singleton vaccines, because if they combine covid with the standard flu shot I won’t be able to get it. (Damn allergies!)