# Too late to get a flu shot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722 "2018-11-18T06:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/1 "2018-11-18T06:11:27Z")
… if there’s any point ar this late date, what’s the cheapest option for the uninsured? (I live in Texas if that matters.) Does anyone provide them free, regardless of insurance? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/2 "2018-11-18T06:13:10Z")
Ah, to clarify, I know it’s not too late in the sense that the vaccine is still offered … but is there much benefit left, at this point in the year? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/3 "2018-11-18T06:17:52Z")
FWIW my nieces (7 and 9) just got theirs today at their pediatrician’s office. So, at least one doctor thinks it’s still worth it. I don’t know of anywhere that does it for free but from what I recall they’re only like $25-35 aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![ftl\_ftw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@ftl\_ftw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftl_ftw)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/4 "2018-11-18T06:23:38Z")
It is not too late. Flu season peaks in December through February, and sometimes can last all the way through May.The flu shot takes about 2 weeks to become effective, so if you get it now it’ll be in time to cover most of the peak season. (Source: [Flu Season | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm) ) I don’t know of places that provide them free in Texas, sorry. If your employer doesn’t offer them for free and you’re uninsured, it’ll probably cost $20-$40 or so. On the internet I found a list of places but it’s not Texas-specific ([Where to Get Free or the Cheapest Flu Shots (2023 Prices Update)](https://20somethingfinance.com/where-to-get-cheap-or-free-flu-shots/) ), it lists the usual suspects (CVS, walgreens, costco, target, etc.) For Texas specifically, the texas department of state health services has a page which is supposed to help find flu clinics near you: [https://www.dshs.texas.gov/flu/finder.aspx](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/flu/finder.aspx) . (Disclaimer - I have not used it, just found it on the internet for you, so I cannot vouch for whether it is helpful or not.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/5 "2018-11-18T06:25:14Z")
They can be given at any time, but require about two weeks for full effectiveness. Whether you can get them for free depends on many factors. Do you have health insurance of any kind? They should pay, probably 100%. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/6 "2018-11-18T09:17:09Z")
ive had the flu in july……when it was 110… pure and total misery ---
**Author:** ![UnwittingAmericans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/7 "2018-11-18T09:40:18Z")
Cripes. If you didn’t get the flu yet, it’s not too late to get a flu shot. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/8 "2018-11-18T11:38:59Z")
Got mine ten days ago. It never crossed my mind it might be ‘too late’. In February maybe, but mid November? Kinda the perfect time to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/9 "2018-11-18T13:21:01Z")
No, it’s not too late. Get the shot. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/10 "2018-11-18T13:23:51Z")
Yeah, this is still a “normal” time to get one. I got one free this year at a college that was encouraging everyone who walked by to get vaccinated. They said, “if you are here, you are part of our community, and we want to avoid a flu outbreak in our community.” So, maybe check out large universities near you that might have the same idea? But they only ADVERTISED to students/faculty/staff, and it’s probably too late to get into one of those efforts. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/11 "2018-11-18T15:30:44Z")
I didn’t know about the 2-week thing, thanks all for that tidbit of info. I was concerned because most employer-sponsored flu shots - free because they don’t want their entire staff calling out sick - are done in October IIRC. > [@nightshadea](#): > > ive had the flu in july……when it was 110… pure and total misery That sounds horrifying! 😮 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/12 "2018-11-18T18:16:58Z")
The vaccine lasts very well for the season and while peak is commonly somewhere between January to as late as early March there is some activity early on. There is no disadvantage to getting it even in August as soon as it becomes available and doing such provides some marginal increase in protection, both for the individual and for the community. But even getting it during peak season is not too late to get benefit as there is continued risk past peak as well. [The official tracker site](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/) btw. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/13 "2018-11-18T19:44:36Z")
Our local community is fairly affluent, but certainly has it’s share of poor people. We recently had a community clinic with free flu shots, but I can get one for free at the local Rite-Aid with my insurance. ---
**Author:** ![pdhenry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pdhenry/32/5561_2.png) [@pdhenry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdhenry)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/14 "2018-11-18T21:51:04Z")
We normally target the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving. This year we got ours on October 29. There’s some evidence that among older folks the annual vaccine could diminish in effectiveness before the end of flu season if one were to get it “too early” (I’ve gotten one in August in the past but I’d consider that “too early”). ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/15 "2018-11-18T22:17:26Z")
I just got mine Thursday, but we seem to get the vaccine to market later in Ontario than in the states. The pharmacies here start pushing it around October 15 or so. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/16 "2018-11-18T23:16:20Z")
> [@pdhenry](#): > > We normally target the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving. This year we got ours on October 29. > > There’s some evidence that among older folks the annual vaccine could diminish in effectiveness before the end of flu season if one were to get it “too early” (I’ve gotten one in August in the past but I’d consider that “too early”). Not much evidence and it runs the risk of flu hitting earlier than expected. We have had years with significant case loads by October. But you want to know the most effective way to protect older folks? Have younger healthier folks around them all get vaccinated! The elderly response to the vaccine is fairly podunk in any case. Younger healthier people respond better. Keep the elderly from getting exposed by having the rest of us, who are at less risk of dying from it, get our shots as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/17 "2018-11-19T00:16:24Z")
Strictly for interest, but up here (Canada), it’s available for free, without appointment or hassle, at seemingly all the big chain pharmacies (don’t know about the indpts). I would bet that from a public health perspective, there’s a net savings to the government (as the entity that’s gonna be on the hook for the costs of any hospitalizations due to the ‘flu’, as well as many other costly consequences of infection). ---
**Author:** ![LiliesOfTheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@LiliesOfTheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiliesOfTheField)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/18 "2018-11-19T01:32:46Z")
If no insurance, check with your local public health department. They are low cost, and they may also have fee waivers. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/19 "2018-11-21T01:01:32Z")
This is the perfect time to get a flu shot. About $30. 2018 2019 season is just starting to pick up: CDC Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report [https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#modalIdString\_CDCTable\_0](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#modalIdString_CDCTable_0) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722/20 "2018-11-21T01:50:01Z")
some places give out gift cards for getting a flu shot. Target gave me a $5 card. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/824722.md?page=2)