{"id":686896,"date":"2025-08-24T12:50:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T09:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/"},"modified":"2025-08-24T12:50:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T09:50:20","slug":"is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it too late to get a flu shot?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a9f94b68aaab\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a9f94b68aaab\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#Flu_season_started_early_could_end_late\" >Flu season started early, could end late<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#Is_it_still_worth_getting_vaccinated_in_August\" >Is it still worth getting vaccinated in August?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#How_well_do_they_work\" >How well do they work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#Are_they_safe\" >Are they safe?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#Which_flu_vaccine_should_I_get\" >Which flu vaccine should I get?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#Is_it_free\" >Is it free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot\/#So_whats_the_verdict\" >So what&#8217;s the verdict?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2024\/flu.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2024\/flu.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2024\/flu.jpg\" alt=\"flu\" title=\"Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s almost spring. And while <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/covid-flu-rsv-how-these-common-viruses-are-tracking-this-winter-and-how-to-protect-yourself-261383\" target=\"_blank\">respiratory infections<\/a> seem to have <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nindss.health.gov.au\/pbi-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\">passed their peak<\/a> many people are still getting sick.<\/p>\n<p>So is it still worth getting a flu shot?<\/p>\n<p>The short answer is &#8220;yes.&#8221; If you haven&#8217;t had one already this year, it&#8217;s not too late.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Flu_season_started_early_could_end_late\"><\/span>Flu season started early, could end late<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Flu seasons are notoriously <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-020-16545-6\" target=\"_blank\">unpredictable<\/a>. Temperature swings, population immunity, and new viral strains are among <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/sym16080943\" target=\"_blank\">factors<\/a> influencing how widely the virus spreads.<\/p>\n<p>Australia&#8217;s flu season <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ausvaxsafety.org.au\/2025-australian-flu-season-who-should-get-flu-shot-which-vaccines-are-available-and-what-expect\" target=\"_blank\">usually runs<\/a> from April to October, peaking between June and September.<\/p>\n<p>But this year was different. It <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nindss.health.gov.au\/pbi-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\">started early<\/a>. Laboratory-confirmed cases between January and March 2025 were almost 60% higher than the same period in 2024. Since then, numbers have dipped slightly compared to last year.<\/p>\n<p>However, we could still see thousands more cases before 2025 ends if the season follows last year&#8217;s pattern, and extends well beyond October.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How's this year's flu season tracking?\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-eTFzp\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/eTFzp\/3\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"458\" data-external=\"1\" name=\"datawrapper-chart-eTFzp\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2025-08\/australian-respiratory-surveillance-report-14-july-to-27-july-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">This year<\/a>, influenza A has been the dominant strain across all age groups. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/biologyinsights.com\/which-flu-is-worse-influenza-a-or-b\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\">Think<\/a> of influenza A as the more common, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-319-05512-1_4\" target=\"_blank\">quickly evolving<\/a> type of flu that often triggers larger, more severe outbreaks. The other main type, influenza B, evolves more slowly and usually causes milder illness, although it can still be serious, especially for children.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_still_worth_getting_vaccinated_in_August\"><\/span>Is it still worth getting vaccinated in August?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Absolutely. While flu activity usually declines after July, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of flu shows the virus does still circulate outside the typical flu season.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve already had flu this year, natural infection offers some <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1471490620300430?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\">protection<\/a>. But this is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly less reliable and narrower than vaccination. Natural infection cannot reliably provide immunity in older people, who have a much poorer immune response to infection. For younger people, although their immune system mounts a strong response, it is against the specific influenza strain that has infected them, and gives little protection against other strains. This is why <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41577-019-0143-6\" target=\"_blank\">vaccination<\/a> is preferable.<\/p>\n<p>If you are still sick with the flu, current <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ncirs.org.au\/influenza\/influenza-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions-faqs\" target=\"_blank\">recommendations<\/a> are that you should wait until you are recovered before getting a flu shot. This allows your immune system to generate a strong response to the vaccine.<\/p>\n<p>Once vaccinated, it takes about <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ausvaxsafety.org.au\/2025-australian-flu-season-who-should-get-flu-shot-which-vaccines-are-available-and-what-expect#:~:text=How%20effective%20are%20flu%20vaccines,prevents%20illness%20varies%20depending%20on:\" target=\"_blank\">two weeks<\/a> to develop immunity. Protection is strongest in the first <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/topics\/immunisation\/vaccines\/influenza-flu-vaccine\" target=\"_blank\">few months<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Pregnant women and international <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>ers can benefit from vaccination at any time of year.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_well_do_they_work\"><\/span>How well do they work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Effectiveness of flu vaccines varies year to year, depending on how well the vaccine strains match those going around. This season, the match <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears excellent\u2014<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2025-06\/australian-respiratory-surveillance-report-19-may-to-1-june-2025_0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">about a 98% match<\/a> (for key strains).<\/p>\n<p>However, the vaccine doesn&#8217;t completely protect you from getting infected (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/feature-stories\/detail\/vaccine-efficacy-effectiveness-and-protection#:~:text=Vaccines%20do%20not%20provide%20full,been%20fully%20vaccinated%20%E2%80%93%20can%20occur.\" target=\"_blank\">no vaccine does<\/a>). This is because levels of immunity and our response to infection vary from person to person.<\/p>\n<p>Flu vaccines are generally <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.nsw.gov.au\/immunisation\/Publications\/flu-provider-toolkit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">40%\u201360% effective<\/a> against experiencing a negative health outcome, for example, developing the flu and attending a GP practice or being hospitalized.<\/p>\n<p>So vaccination against the flu is particularly important for high-risk groups such as elderly people, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic (long-term) conditions.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_they_safe\"><\/span>Are they safe?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Data about vaccine safety are reassuring. According to AusVaxSafety, a surveillance system that monitors vaccine safety, so far in 2025 more than 114,000 people have reported their experience after a flu shot, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ausvaxsafety.org.au\/2025-australian-flu-season-who-should-get-flu-shot-which-vaccines-are-available-and-what-expect\" target=\"_blank\">83% had no adverse reactions<\/a> within three days of their shot.<\/p>\n<p>The most common were mild and short-lived, such as a sore arm, headache or fatigue. Only 0.2% needed to see a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>You cannot catch the flu from the vaccine itself. This is because it contains an inactivated or &#8220;killed&#8221; version of the virus. This means it is not live and cannot cause infection.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_flu_vaccine_should_I_get\"><\/span>Which flu vaccine should I get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tga.gov.au\/resources\/publication\/publications\/2025-seasonal-influenza-vaccines\" target=\"_blank\">All flu vaccines<\/a> in Australia this year are quadrivalent, which means they protect against four strains.<\/p>\n<p>For people with egg allergies, there&#8217;s a newer option called Flucelvax Quad, which is produced in mammalian cells instead of chicken eggs. There are also special, higher-dose formulations for older adults, such as Fluad Quad for those 65 and older, and Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent for those 60 and over.<\/p>\n<p>Your health care provider will discuss the best option for you.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_free\"><\/span>Is it free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Under the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/topics\/immunisation\/when-to-get-vaccinated\/national-immunisation-program-schedule\" target=\"_blank\">National Immunization Program<\/a>, the flu vaccine <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/topics\/immunisation\/vaccines\/influenza-flu-vaccine\" target=\"_blank\">is free for<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>children aged six months to under five years<\/li>\n<li>pregnant women<\/li>\n<li>adults aged 65 and over<\/li>\n<li>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from six months of age<\/li>\n<li>people with certain medical conditions, such as heart disease or with weakened immunity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Everyone else <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/flu-vaccines-are-now-available-for-2025-whats-on-offer-and-which-one-should-i-get-252292\" target=\"_blank\">can pay<\/a> about A$20\u201330 at GPs or pharmacies. If your GP does not bulk bill, you may also need to pay an out-of-pocket cost for the consultation.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/statements.qld.gov.au\/statements\/102110\" target=\"_blank\">Queensland<\/a> is the only state offering free flu vaccination to all ages over six months. But that program ends on September 30.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_whats_the_verdict\"><\/span>So what&#8217;s the verdict?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The bottom line is that it&#8217;s not too late to get vaccinated. Even as winter eases, getting a flu shot can make a real difference, protecting both you and the people around you from serious illness.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot-263196\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/263196\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Is it too late to get a flu shot? (2025, August 23)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 24 August 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-08-late-flu-shot.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-08-late-flu-shot.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels It&#8217;s almost spring. And while respiratory infections seem to have passed their peak many people are still getting sick. So is it still worth getting a flu shot? The short answer is &#8220;yes.&#8221; If you haven&#8217;t had one already this year, it&#8217;s not too late. Flu season started early, could&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":686897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2024\/flu.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-686896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=686896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=686896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=686896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=686896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}