Patients can receive their influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations during same visit, according to the CDC. Individuals need not wait 2 weeks between COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, as previously recommended, the agency states, because experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop an immune response after vaccination, as well as possible side effects of vaccines, are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines as long as the recipient is eligible for the vaccines. The CDC’s new guidance states that the 2-week prior waiting period was done out of an abundance of caution during a period when the vaccines were new and not due to any known safety or immunogenicity concerns.
If multiple vaccines are administered at a single visit, each injection should be administered in separate injection sites by at least 1 inch. If administering other immunizations along with COVID-19 vaccines, providers should separate injection sites by at least 1 inch, and influenza vaccines that are more likely to cause a local reaction, like high-dose or adjuvanted inactivated flu vaccine, should be administered in different limbs if possible.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also emphasized the importance of flu vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is expected to continue during flu season, and recommends both the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines be administered during the same visit for children ages 12 years and older who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines.
