Now Is the Best Time to Get Your Flu Shot

05 Oct 2026, 18:40 by Dominique Mosbergen · TIME

Doctors often use the phrase “flu before boo” to remind people to get their flu vaccine before Halloween. But this flu season, you might not want to wait until Oct. 31 to get vaccinated.

“We might be seeing an early flu wave this year,” says Emily Martin, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, pointing to national clinical surveillance data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that shows an uptick of flu cases in the U.S. in recent weeks.

“It's not unusual to have a little bit of flu show up when college students return to campus and when kids go back to school. However, we've been seeing some flu activity in the last few weeks that seems to be sticking around,” says Martin, who studies the spread of respiratory viruses and vaccine effectiveness.

Getting the flu shot now is a good idea, Martin says, as it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective. She adds that October is generally an ideal time to get the flu vaccine because it not only offers protection from early waves of the virus, but also gives continued coverage through January and February when flu cases are typically at their peak.

“The flu shot’s effectiveness does wane over time, so if you get it in June or July, it could be weaker by the time you get to February,” she says. “Still, it’s important to remember that the flu shot—whenever you get it—is more effective than not getting a flu shot at all. So if you have an opportunity to get it, don't overthink the timing.” Martin says she plans on getting the flu shot next week.

What are the different types of flu shots?

The flu vaccine is available as a shot or nasal spray. For the first time, a flu shot using mRNA technology is available this year. In a study published in May 2026, the mRNA-based flu shot, produced by Moderna and called mFlusiva, was up to 27% more effective in preventing flu than any of four currently available flu shots. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mFlusiva for people ages 50 and older.

You need to get a flu vaccine every year to stay protected against the virus as flu strains are constantly evolving, and immune protection against the flu decreases over time. (That is also true if you get sick from the flu, Martin says. Natural immunity also wears off.)

Is the flu shot effective?

Flu vaccination helps prevent infection and significantly reduces the risk of severe disease and death. The CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented 10 million flu-related illnesses, 180,000 flu-related hospitalizations, and 12,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. during the 2024–2025 flu season.

But flu vaccination rates have been declining across the U.S. in recent years. Flu vaccination among children fell from 63% in the 2019–2020 flu season to 50% in 2024–2025—a drop of 13 percentage points. About 300 children died in 2024-2025 because of complications related to the flu. Most of them were unvaccinated, the CDC says.

Who should get a flu shot?

The Trump Administration has attempted in recent months to weaken flu vaccine recommendations, but official vaccine guidance remains unchanged: The CDC continues to urge everyone aged 6 months and older to get the flu vaccine, a recommendation affirmed by other medical organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Earlier this year, the CDC, under direction from the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., tried to reduce the number of routinely recommended childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11. Seasonal flu was one of the six vaccines no longer recommended to all children. A federal judge blocked the move.

In August, President Trump signed an executive order that called for the same overhaul to the childhood immunization schedule, but the order doesn’t? have legal power, legal experts say, and official vaccine recommendations haven’t been impacted.

Doctors and vaccine scientists say the Trump Administration’s moves have sown confusion and skepticism about vaccines.

“Vaccines shouldn’t be a political discussion. They are scientific tools that have done a great job at preventing infections and deaths,” says Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and AAP spokesperson. “There has been no change in the scientific evidence to inform the [Trump Administration’s] announcements. It’s just confusing to medical professionals and to parents.”

If people have questions about vaccines, they should speak to their doctor, Kaushik says. “I encourage parents and patients to ask their clinicians any questions they have. Clinicians are on their side.”

Kaushik says she and her children have already received their flu shots this year.

The flu vaccine remains “our best bet” at preventing hospitalization and serious complications from the flu in both adults and children, Kaushik says. It reduces the risk of dying from the flu by 80% for children.