Flu vaccination

The flu shot helps your body make antibodies (cells in your blood) to fight the viruses in the vaccine. Some years, the flu vaccine is more effective than others. That's because the people developing the vaccines can't predict exactly how the flu virus is going to change year to year, and it takes months to make a new vaccine.

All people, six months and older, should get an annual influenza vaccination. The best time of year to get the flu shot is in October. Find out why.

If you’re at higher risk of getting very sick from the flu, it’s even more important that you get vaccinated. People who are more likely to get very sick from the flu include:

• Young children
• Pregnant people
• People with health problems like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease
• People who are 65 years and older

Consult with your provider before getting a flu shot if you’ve had a bad flu shot reaction, are currently ill (with or without a fever) or have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

All flu vaccinations given by Allina Health are latex free and contain no preservatives.

The flu vaccine will not protect you against the swine flu.

You can get a flu shot at most Allina Health clinics any time through the influenza season, which lasts from October through May. We offer:

• injectable influenza vaccine for those six months of age and older, 
• nasal influenza vaccine for those ages two-49 years of age,
• egg-free influenza vaccine for those 6 months of age and older
• senior influenza vaccine for those 65 years of age and older.  

You can get a flu shot as part of an appointment with your provider, or you can come to a clinic for a shot-only appointment.

After receiving the shot, your body needs two weeks to develop antibodies against the viruses. This means you can become sick with the flu before protection from the vaccine starts.