Doctor says it is safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other shots
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As flu season approaches and more people are vaccinated against COVID-19, some people might be concerned about getting vaccinated against different viruses too close together.
Dr. Christelle Ilboudo with MU Health Care said although the original studies said different vaccines should be spaced out by two weeks, that is no longer the case.
"The original studies that were done they asked people to not get other vaccines in a two week window period for the reason of knowing what side effects were related directly to the COVID-19 vaccine," Ilboudo said.
As millions of people have received the COVID-19 vaccine, nothing indicates that getting vaccines closer together will do any harm.
Ilboudo says the COVID-19 vaccine should still be prioritized over others because of the recent surge in the delta variant. As flu season is on the horizon, she says people should be looking to get their flu shot by early October.
"If they're due for the second COVID vaccine or if they haven't yet gotten vaccinated, they can absolutely do both at the same time," Ilboudo said.
Ilboudo said during the pandemic last school year, a lot of kids fell behind with other vaccinations like the flu or shingles, so they must get caught up as they head back to classes this year.
The Columbia/Boone County Health Department released a statement saying that after Sept. 15, it will not regularly host COVID-19 vaccination clinics as it has been done in the past several months. The department will announce any pop-up COVID-19 vaccination opportunities as they occur, but community members are encouraged to get the vaccine from other vaccinators.
Scott Clardy with the department said the change has everything to do with the flu season coming up and the efforts for flu shots will begin around the first of October.
"We go to schools throughout Boone County. We go to all the public schools and eight private schools and do flu shot clinics there for students," Clardy said. "Once we get those scheduled, which is one of the things we're working on now, then we'll probably go ahead and schedule some more outreach COVID vaccine clinics."
According to the health department website, anyone six months and older can get the flu shot. Just like the COVID-19 vaccine, it takes about two weeks after receiving the flu vaccine to develop the body’s protection to fight the illness.
Side effects are expected with any vaccine; as Ilboudo says, the intention is to boost your immune system, to give something for the system to remember so that next time you face the infection you are trying to prevent, your body is primed to know what to do already.
Ilboudo says flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at similar locations, including health agencies and many pharmacies. She encourages talking with your primary doctor just in case you do have special circumstances.
