ST. LOUIS — We’re kicking off a new segment on Today in St. Louis called 'Ask Allie'. You send your questions or concerns to TISL’s Allie Corey and she will take them to the people who have the answers.
The first question comes from viewer Linda S. She asks, “Is there a safe timeframe when you should get your flu shot and then the booster for the COVID vaccine?”
Corey asked Washington University Dr. Steven Lawrence, who specializes in infectious disease.
Here's what he had to say:
“There shouldn't be a concern about any safety reasons for getting the Flu vaccine after a COVID vaccine, or a Flu vaccine after having COVID. There should be no significant concern or any safety issues that would arise from that," explained Dr. Lawrence.
Dr. Lawrence says last year’s Flu season was an anomaly, with the lowest number of cases in some 100 years. However, he and other health professionals, expect this year to be much different as people are getting back together again. Dr. Lawrence stresses that on the public health scale, it is more important for people to get their first and second dose of the vaccine than it is for people to get their booster shot. The more people who get their initial doses, the quicker we beat this pandemic.
We should mention Moderna is currently working on a combination vaccine. It would be a single dose that would work as a booster against COVID and the Flu. It would be given six months after patients receive the second dose of their vaccine. Moderna hopes to have it available by the fall.
So, Linda S. Dr. Lawrence says you are safe to get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 booster shot, if and when it’s approved for you.
Have a question you want answered?
Email: acorey@ksdk.com or you can reach out to her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.