3 Misconceptions About the Flu Shot and COVID-19

Reality: There’s no evidence that getting a flu shot will increase your susceptibility to COVID-19.

You might have heard about a study from the journal Vaccine, published online last year, that suggested that the flu shot might be linked to an increased risk of seasonal coronaviruses. Those are the kinds that cause some common colds.

But there are a number of reasons why this study, which looked only at data from the 2017-2018 flu season, shouldn’t put you off the flu shot. For one thing, Belongia says, “seasonal coronaviruses are very, very different from SARS-CoV-2.” So it’s not possible to draw conclusions about COVID-19 from data on seasonal coronavirus. And the link they did find may have been the result of some issues with the study’s methodology, Belongia says.

Reality: Australia and several other Southern hemisphere countries experienced very low levels of flu over their seasons this year. That’s attributable, in part, to the strong COVID-19 mitigation measures that were put into place, says Jennifer Nayak, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, microbiology, and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In March and April, about the time that the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season usually begins, regional and country-wide lockdowns went into effect in countries like Chile, South Africa, and Australia, some of the same countries that have seen minimal flu activity. “People were staying at home. Children weren't going to school. Parents weren't going to work,” Nayak says.

But in the U.S. right now, many of those conditions no longer apply. “Things like mask wearing and social distancing are not instituted perfectly in this country,” Nayak says. So while we can hope to have a mild flu season this winter, there’s no guarantee.

The possibility of COVID-19 and flu circulating at the same time makes it even more important to get your flu shot—to protect yourself from at least one of those two diseases, which one person can actually get at the same time.

And reducing your risk of the flu not only cuts your likelihood of getting sick or severely ill from flu but also helps keep the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by two epidemics at once.

Reality: With many workplaces not offering flu shots and some people delaying checkups, it might take a little more planning than usual to get your flu shot. But it doesn’t have to be unsafe.

To guard against the spread of COVID-19, most healthcare centers are “implementing a tremendous amount of protective measures,” says Michael Phillips, MD, chief healthcare epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health. At NYU, for example, “We screen everybody before they come in to identify the people who are potentially ill.” On site, he says, anyone with symptoms is kept separate from people coming in who don’t have symptoms. On top of that, masks are required at all times for both staff and patients.

Nayak says that at the University of Rochester, “the mitigation measures are very strictly enforced, and you don't have people not following them.” Inside a hospital or clinic, where staff are trained in infection control, you shouldn’t encounter anyone without a mask, the way you might at a grocery store.

Call ahead to wherever you’re planning on getting your flu shot to find out what its procedures are for giving flu shots. Some clinics may be offering special hours for flu shots, or even drive-thru or outdoor vaccinations. If you’re headed to a pharmacy, check whether it offers appointments for flu shots so that you avoid any need to wait around. Your primary care provider may also give you an option to schedule a flu shot and be in and out quickly.