The flu isn’t just the flu—it can bring serious risks

Flu shots help your body develop immunity to flu infection. The flu shot, usually administered in your arm, triggers your immune system to get ready to fight off a future infection. Protection starts approximately 2 weeks after you get the shot.

It's a myth that you can get the flu from the shot. That’s because flu shots are either made with an inactive flu virus that has been killed and therefore is not infectious or developed using proteins from a flu virus that cannot cause an infection.

You should get your flu shot annually when the vaccine is available, preferably by October. If you don’t have a chance to get a flu shot right away, vaccination during flu season—into the winter months and beyond—is still recommended. Visit our flu shot locator to find a Sanofi flu shot near you.

Because flu viruses evolve every year, last year’s vaccine may not protect you from the flu this season. Flu vaccines are updated every year with FDA-recommended strains to keep up with rapidly adapting flu viruses.

When you get vaccinated, your immune system produces antibodies to help protect you from the viruses included in the vaccine. But antibody levels may decline over time—another reason to get a flu shot every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting vaccinated against BOTH the flu and COVID-19.

• Remember that the COVID-19 vaccine does NOT protect you from the flu, so you will still need an annual flu shot
• As per CDC, you may be able to get your flu shot and COVID 19 vaccines at the same time

For more information, visit the CDC website.

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about getting both shots at the same visit.

If you have an egg allergy, you may have been told in the past that you needed a certain kind of flu shot that was not made using eggs. Per the CDC, people with egg allergies may get an egg-based or non-egg-based vaccine that is appropriate for their age and health, as long as it’s given in a setting where allergic reactions can be recognized and treated quickly.

The CDC recommends getting a flu shot while pregnant to help protect yourself and your baby from the flu. There is not enough data on Flublok use in pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if Flublok is right for you, or if you have more questions. Healthcare providers are encouraged to enroll women who receive Flublok during pregnancy in Sanofi’s vaccination pregnancy registry by calling 1-800-822-2463.

CDC recommends that breastfeeding women can get a flu shot. There is no data to determine the effects of Flublok on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion. Healthcare providers are encouraged to enroll women who receive Flublok during pregnancy in Sanofi’s vaccination pregnancy registry by calling 1-800-822-2463.

Flublok^® and Fluzone^® High-Dose should not be given to anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccine (including egg protein for Fluzone^® High-Dose). In addition, Fluzone^® High-Dose should not be given to anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of any influenza vaccine.