Community Corner
Where to Get a Flu Shot in Silver Spring
Are you getting a flu shot this year? If so, which one? There are a variety of options.
While flu cases usually peak in the U.S. in January or February, they can begin as early as October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means it's not too early to think about getting a flu shot now. Use the widget to find out where to get a flu vaccine near you.
According to the CDC, "traditional flu vaccines made to protect against three different flu viruses (called “trivalent” vaccines) are available. In addition, this season flu vaccines made to protect against four different flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines) also are available."
Here's what the CDC says on its website about the different types of vaccines available this year:
The trivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A viruses and an influenza B virus. The following trivalent flu vaccines are available:
- Standard dose trivalent shots that are manufactured using virus grown in eggs. These are approved for people ages 6 months and older. There are different brands of this type of vaccine, and each is approved for different ages. However, there is a brand that is approved for children as young as 6 months old and up.
- A standard dose trivalent shot containing virus grown in cell culture, which is approved for people 18 and older.
- A standard dose trivalent shot that is egg-free, approved for people 18 through 49 years of age.
- A high-dose trivalent shot, approved for people 65 and older.
- A standard dose intradermal trivalent shot, which is injected into the skin instead of the muscle and uses a much smaller needle than the regular flu shot, approved for people 18 through 64 years of age.
The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. The following quadrivalent flu vaccines are available:
- A standard dose quadrivalent shot
- A standard dose quadrivalent flu vaccine, given as a nasal spray, approved for healthy* people 2 through 49 years of age
(*”Healthy” indicates persons who do not have an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications.)
CDC does not recommend one flu vaccine over the other. The important thing is to get a flu vaccine every year.
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