Now’s a Great Time to Get Your Annual Flu Shot

From updated COVID boosters to confusion about monkeypox vaccine eligibility, important vaccine updates have been top of mind this summer. But experts say there’s one immunization you shouldn’t forget to book as fall approaches: your flu shot. It’s important to get the flu vaccine every year, but it should be an even higher priority for the 2022-2023 flu season, Thomas Russo, MD, an infectious disease expert at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, tells SELF.

That’s because data from Australia’s flu season, which starts to wane just as flu season ramps up in the US, is raising some concerns among infectious disease experts. “We look at Australia to predict our flu season. And this year, they had a horrific flu season,” Kenneth Koncilja, MD, an internal medicine and geriatrics specialist at Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. “The season peaked two months earlier than normal and with worse intensity.”

Last season’s lower numbers, both in Australia and in the US, are likely a success story of all the COVID precautions we took, like masking and social distancing, which are measures that help protect against any respiratory illness, including cold and flu, Dr. Russo says.

But as COVID restrictions were lifted globally, influenza once again reared its ugly head. “People are traveling, interacting without masks,” Dr. Russo points out. That’s why experts fear a rise in cases may also unfold in the US this year.

So this isn’t the time to pass on your flu vaccine—especially if you face a higher risk of severe illness (or plan on visiting someone who is vulnerable, like your grandparents or a pregnant friend, as you enjoy the holidays). But when should you get your flu shot, anyway? Here’s what you need to know, including when flu season begins and the best time to schedule your appointment.

When does flu season start and how long does it typically last?

Influenza viruses are detected year-round, but cases tend to spike during the fall and winter months in the US. The exact timing of flu season varies from year to year, per the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), but flu activity (read: when the germs start spreading) usually starts to increase in October and peaks sometime between December and February. That said, “significant activity” may still be recorded as late as May.

When should you get your flu shot?

The CDC recommends the flu shot for everyone six months or older; you can get vaccinated as early as September, and you ideally shouldn’t wait past October, per the CDC. There’s a reason you’re supposed to get your vaccine before flu season is in full swing; “It takes a couple of weeks [for the vaccine] to kick in,” Dr. Russo says. That means your body generally needs about two weeks to develop flu-fighting antibodies after your vaccination—so you’re not protected right after your appointment.