Who Should Get a Flu Vaccine

Getting an annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from flu.

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each flu season.

Children under the age of 8 getting vaccinated for the flu for the first time require two doses of the flu vaccine, so it is important to start the process early.

Getting the vaccine is very important for groups at higher risk of getting seriously ill from the flu:

• People 65 and older
• Women who are pregnant
• Young children
• People with chronic health conditions such as heart or lung disease, asthma, and diabetes.

Learn more about who is high-risk for the Flu at the CDC’s website.

Infants are also at greater risk. But they cannot get the flu vaccine — and this makes it very important that children and adults around them do get the vaccine.

To maximize your protection against the flu, get in the habit of getting the vaccine annually.

The flu virus changes constantly. Each year, the vaccine you get protects you against the three to four flu types that researchers determine will be the most common.