Fall means it’s time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines – and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV.
Yes, you can get your flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time. Don’t call them boosters — they’re not just another dose of last year’s protection. The coronavirus and influenza are escape artists that constantly mutate to evade your body’s immune defenses, so both vaccines are reformulated annually to target newer strains.
I’ve seen a lot about this one being better. For me (I got Pfizer’s brilliantly named comirnaty) it was about the same if not a little bit worse. ~24hr of feeling feverish, significant body aches, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, vague feeling of unwell the same and next day. Was fine the day after that though.
These always treat me quite poorly. After my original second shot I was vomiting and felt truly horrible. But it hasn’t really improved since the third. Every time, I remember the incredibly low rates after the first vaccine, and lament what could have been.