You don't have time for the flu.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone six months and older get the flu vaccine, unless their doctor recommends otherwise.

Yes, you need to get both types of vaccines to be protected against both types of viruses. The flu vaccine gives you protection against flu viruses, and the COVID-19 vaccines protect you against the COVID-19 virus.

You can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. You should be vaccinated against COVID-19 even if you had the COVID-19 virus in the past. 

If you are an adult, you can get a flu vaccine at:

• Your local pharmacy, such as CVS, Walgreens, or Rite-Aid pharmacy. Target offers flu vaccines at the CVS pharmacies inside their stores.
• A flu vaccine clinic
• Your doctor’s office.

Children and adolescents under age 19 need to get the flu vaccine at their doctor’s office. If your child is between 6 months and 8 years old, they may need two doses of the flu vaccine.

For more information about flu vaccine in your county, please visit the following webpages.

Flu vaccines in Mariposa County

Visit the Mariposa County Health and Human Services Agency website.

Flu vaccines in Merced County

Visit the Merced County Department of Public Health Flu Season page.

Flu vaccines in Monterey County

Visit the County of Monterey Health Department page on flu.

Flu vaccines in San Benito County

Visit the San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency website.

Flu vaccines in Santa Cruz County 

Visit the County of Santa Cruz flu page.

If you need help finding a place to get your flu vaccine, you can also go to www.vaccines.gov to find a location near you.

The flu can be a life-threatening illness. By getting a flu vaccine, you can:

• Help protect yourself and others from getting sick.
• Help reduce your chances of having to go to the hospital if you are sick from the flu.
• Help stop the spread and protect groups that are at a higher risk such as babies, young children, older adults and people with chronic conditions.

If you get a flu vaccine, you will not be protected right away. It takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in your body to help protect you from getting the flu.

You should get a flu vaccine every year. There are two reasons why an annual flu vaccine is needed.  

1. A person’s immune protection from a flu vaccine is less effective over time, so a vaccine every year is needed for full protection.  
2. Flu viruses are always changing. The flu vaccines are updated each year to protect people from the most current flu virus. The flu vaccine you got last year may not be the right one to protect you for this flu season. 

Side effects from the flu vaccine are generally mild. You may have common side effects after getting the flu vaccine, such as:

• Soreness, redness or swelling from the vaccine at the injection site.
• Headache.
• Fever.
• Nausea.
• Muscle aches.

You can find more information about the safety of flu vaccines on the CDC website.

Yes, you should get a flu vaccine if you are pregnant. If you are pregnant, you have a higher risk of getting very sick from the flu than people who are not pregnant. Getting the flu can also be harmful to your baby’s development. Get the flu vaccine to protect yourself and your baby.

Yes! Ask your doctor if you or your child need other vaccines or when their next check-up is due. It is important to keep up with all the recommended vaccines and well-check visits to keep you and your child on track to staying healthy.