You don’t just brush your teeth once and expect to keep the germs at bay for life. Each time you eat, new bacteria enter your mouth and feast on the sugars that coat your teeth. That's why brushing regularly is essential for oral health.
Similarly, you can't expect last year’s influenza (aka, the flu) shot to protect you from this year's flu. The flu virus mutates rapidly. Each year, researchers must formulate a new type of vaccine to keep you and your loved ones protected from the latest variant.
Kimberly Bolling, MD, is a knowledgeable and caring clinician who recommends annual flu shots for almost all women, men, and children. At our offices in Bowie, Maryland, she and our team offer the latest flu shots as well as COVID vaccines and boosters.
Why do you need a yearly flu vaccine? Below are some of the reasons.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines are trivalent. This means they protect against three different virus lines:
This season’s vaccine was updated with the new influenza A(H3N2) virus. The 2024-25 vaccine doesn’t act against the influenza B/Yamagata virus because it hasn’t been detected worldwide after March 2020.
The most important reason to make sure your family is fully vaccinated against the flu is that the flu shot can literally save their lives. Babies and the elderly are at particular risk for serious complications from a flu virus.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies over the age of 6 months, as well as all children and teens, receive the latest flu vaccine each year. A recent study demonstrated that flu shots significantly reduced a child’s chances of dying from the flu.
Some children may need to be vaccinated twice during flu season to help them build immunity. You can book their shots as early as July or August. Even if your child needs only one shot, you may request an early vaccination.
If you vaccinate your children, but neglect yourself, you could pass the flu to somebody else if you become infected. Your parents, grandparents, or elderly acquaintances could catch the virus from you. The elderly, like babies, are particularly susceptible to flu complications, including death.
If you get a flu shot in September or October, which is typically the beginning of flu season, you’re more likely to escape the ordeal of suffering through flu symptoms. Your body takes about two weeks to build up immunity to the virus after you get your flu shot.
Getting a flu shot earlier in the season is most likely to save you from contracting the virus. However, if you miss the early window, don’t neglect the vaccine: Getting a flu shot later is better than not getting it at all.
Even if you do come down with a case of the flu after your vaccination, your symptoms tend to be milder. The flu shot works with your immune system to fight off infection, which means you’re less likely to have a severe reaction that causes you to miss work, school, or other important activities.
Although children can get their vaccines in the summer, it’s best to wait until fall if you’re an adult. If you get a flu shot before September, your immunity may wear off just as flu season is really kicking up at the turn of the year.
However, if you’re pregnant, an early vaccine may be beneficial. If you’re in the third trimester during the summertime, an early vaccine can continue to give your baby protection after it’s born. If you’re in the first or second trimester, wait until September for your vaccine.
If you have a chronic health condition, the benefits of your vaccine may extend beyond protecting you from the flu. A flu shot has been demonstrated to prevent flares and complications from other diseases and conditions, such as:
Is it time for your flu shot? Contact our team at 301-352-0090 today or request an appointment online.
