Flu FAQs

Clinical Editor: Megan Dodson, PA-C

It’s that time of year again: flu season is back. As the fall and winter months roll in each year, millions of people come down with the uncomfortable respiratory illness. Last season alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) estimated that flu caused between 600,000-1.3 million hospitalizations and thousands of deaths, with the highest rates among adults 65 and older and children under 5. While it may seem like getting sick is inevitable this time of year, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself and others from the virus. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for flu season:

The flu is a highly contagious respiratory virus that comes on suddenly. Symptoms, such as body aches, fever, and a cough, typically develop one to four days after exposure, and can last from a few days to two weeks. Having the flu may include any or all of the following symptoms:

• Fever (usually 100.4°F or higher, lasting for several days), often with chills
• Body aches or muscle aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea or nausea/vomiting

And because the flu is caused by a virus, antibiotics that are effective against bacteria aren’t useful when you have the flu.

The flu is spread person-to-person primarily from droplets that can travel through the air from coughing and sneezing, as well as by physical contact with contaminated surfaces like door handles, countertops or anything else an infected person touched recently. So practice your cough and sneeze technique and good hand hygiene to keep yourself and those around you healthy during flu season. Widespread mask use and practicing good social distancing will also dramatically reduce the spread of the flu.

Yes! At One Medical, we encourage all our patients who are eligible to get vaccinated against the flu. It’s the single best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from getting the flu. In fact, the flu shot not only reduces your risk of getting the flu and lessens symptoms if you do get sick, it also helps prevent the flu from spreading. If you are in close contact with young children, anyone elderly or with a serious illness, getting vaccinated can reduce their chances of coming down with the flu and developing complications like pneumonia. Moreover, the flu shot is especially important for infants over the age of 6 months old and children, anyone pregnant (or planning to become pregnant), those over the age of 50, those with a chronic medical condition, and those caring for someone who is at risk for complications of the flu. These special groups are at high risk of serious complications of flu, like hospitalization, pneumonia and even death.

Yes, it’s recommended. Each year, the flu vaccine is updated to better match the strain(s) of flu expected to cause the majority of flu cases during the upcoming flu season. Because flu viruses can mutate from season to season, it’s important to get a flu shot every year to ensure you and your loved ones are protected. While it’s possible immunity from a prior year’s shot can be protective, One Medical stands with other bodies such as the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization in recommending annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.

The ideal time to get the flu shot is before the season starts, so we recommend getting vaccinated in September or October, once the current season’s vaccine becomes available. Because flu season in the U.S. can last as late as May though, it’s still worth getting vaccinated even after October. Also, it can take up to two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop and protect you against the flu, so keep that in mind when planning to get vaccinated.

Yes, very! Flu vaccines have been studied carefully and are very safe. Even though some people get sick despite getting a flu shot, the flu shot itself can't give you the flu. Some people report symptoms such as body aches and low-grade fevers after getting a flu shot. This is due to your body’s developing a healthy immune response to the vaccine. These symptoms usually resolve within 24-48 hours. There has been an association between the flu shot and a serious complication called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), but this is extremely rare - fewer than 1 or 2 people per million who receive the vaccine will develop this syndrome, and the vaccine has been shown over and over to be safe and effective. If you have concerns about the vaccine’s safety, you can read more from the CDC here.

People with egg allergies can receive any available flu vaccine.

People with history of life-threatening allergic reactions to the flu vaccine should generally not receive a flu vaccine. Talk to your provider if you’ve had a bad reaction to a vaccine in the past before receiving your next flu shot.

People over the age of 65 have a higher risk of severe flu illness and may not respond with as strong an immune response from regular flu vaccination. To best protect you, there are two types of vaccine specifically for people ages 65 and older that provide better immunity: higher-dose (Fluzone High-Dose and Flublok) and adjuvanted (Fluad). Any of these vaccines are preferred over standard dose vaccines; however, getting a standard dose vaccine is acceptable if that's all that's available to you.

There's a nasal spray flu vaccine called FluMist approved for people ages 2 to 49.

You can get FluMist at certain pharmacies (given by a pharmacist) or order it directly from AstraZeneca online without a prescription. If you order online, you’ll fill out a brief form, and a pharmacist will check to make sure FluMist is safe for you. If approved, they'll mail it to your home and you can administer the nasal spray vaccine yourself. To learn more, including who should not use FluMist, check out the FluMist FAQ page.

The flu vaccine is safe and effective for people with minor illnesses to receive their flu shot, though we might recommend waiting if you’ve been advised to stay away from others to prevent spreading cold or flu-like symptoms. If you have a fever, or have a severe illness, it’s best to be vaccinated when you’re feeling better.

If you never get the flu, that’s great! But the flu shot not only protects your health, but it protects those around you as well. If you are around older, frail people, very young people, like babies, or people with chronic illnesses, the flu shot can help you prevent them from getting it too, as they are at risk to get very sick or even die from the flu.

The vaccine is completely covered by most insurance plans. If you don’t have insurance, you can pay out of pocket (check with the facility where you plan to receive the vaccine for pricing). Please check with your insurance carrier if you have questions concerning your coverage.

The best way to protect yourself and others against the flu is to get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated can also protect those around you, particularly those at increased risk for severe illness.

The CDC recommends the following to reduce your risk of respiratory illnesses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going into public or touching common surfaces. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Stay home when you are sick
• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC recommends wearing a well-fitting face mask when you’re sick if you have to be around others, such as to seek medical care. You should also wear a face mask when you’re living with or caring for someone who is sick.

You may get the flu vaccine at the same time as other vaccines. Some people have reported more bothersome side effects after receiving multiple vaccines at the same time. If you’re sensitive to vaccine side effects, consider waiting for a couple of weeks between your flu vaccine and other vaccines.

Check our our Definitive Guide to Cold and Flu here for more information about what to do when you're feeling sick with cold or flu symptoms.

Antiviral medications are not needed for most people, but can be helpful for people who are at high risk of complications of the flu. If taken during the first 48 hours of the illness, antiviral medications such as the oral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or the inhaled drug zanamivir (Relenza) can lessen the severity and shorten the duration of your symptoms. However, if taken longer than 48 hours after the onset of symptoms, they have little effect. Some side effects of these medications include nausea, diarrhea, and headache. As such, for most people we don’t routinely recommend antiviral medication.

Those who are very sick with the flu (like people whose illness is so severe they need to be hospitalized) and those who are at risk of developing serious flu complications (either due to age, pregnancy, or because of a high-risk medical condition) are recommended to take antiviral medication. If you’re unsure if you are recommended to take antiviral medication, or you have additional questions, please contact a member of your care team.

You can book an appointment in the app by selecting “Book Visit”, providing the reason (“flu shot”) for your visit, and then choosing “Flu Vaccine Appointment”. If there is not an appointment available at your desired time and location, we recommend continuing to check within the app, as new appointments are added as testing slots open up throughout the day.

For children ages 6 months to 14 years who have an active One Medical account and are near one of our offices, you may book an appointment on our app or website.

We’re also happy to help members of your family who would like to get vaccinated at a One Medical office! To get this set up, we invite them to register as a One Medical member with their own active account. Each family member will need their own appointment. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Membership Advisor team for assistance.