Flu Vaccine Now

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:04 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Anchor lead: In the midst of the pandemic flu vaccines are more important than ever, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Can you tell the difference between Covid-19 and the flu? Most likely not, and even experts rely on testing to make the call. That’s important because treatments are so different, and it’s another reason to make sure you avoid the flu by getting the flu vaccine. Lisa Maragakis, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, comments.

Maragakis: We have different formulations of the influenza vaccine available generally targeted to different segments of the population. The recommendation is that anyone over the age of six months needs to get an influenza vaccine. So that’s the most important message. We want everyone to get their vaccine before the virus starts circulating and it takes time for your immune system to respond to vaccination, it could take anywhere from ten to fourteen days. So get your vaccine now, that will give yourself time to respond to the vaccine and be protected before the virus circulates.  :33

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.