Can you get your covid booster with your flu shot?

IT’S ALSO OK TO SPACE THEM OUT If you are concerned about side effects from two shots at once, it’s perfectly fine to space out your COVID-19 booster and other vaccines — just don’t forget

to go back for the one you delayed. Experts say that catching either illness is far worse than any potential risk in increased side effects. The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and

older get a flu shot by the end of October — older adults should ask for the high-dose version for greater protection. It’s expected that health officials will make recommendations,

including guidance on timing, for the new COVID boosters once they are available. Video: Is It Safe to Get Three Vaccines at Once? TWO SHOTS AT ONCE? WHAT ABOUT THREE, OR FOUR? You may

remember that there’s a new vaccine available to adults 60 and older this year: one for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which like COVID-19 and influenza has a fall-winter seasonal

pattern to it. This year at least, you may want to get your RSV vaccine on its own, says William Schaffner, M.D., who is with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and is a

professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In studies, the influenza antibody response was better when the flu and RSV vaccines

were given separately, Schaffner says, though more information on RSV vaccine coadministration is expected soon. Due for some other vaccines around the same time as your flu and COVID shots?

If they’re not time-sensitive the way the COVID-19 and influenza shots are, Mishori says she sometimes recommends that patients space them out, especially if the other vaccine is known for

its side effects, like the shingles vaccine is. “I tell my patients, ‘You don’t want to get the shingles and COVID vaccine at the same time because you’re going to feel really, really

miserable,” she says. Shingles vaccine side effects may include fatigue, headache, muscle pain and nausea. However, Mishori says convenience is a big consideration. “I'll ask, ‘How

disruptive is it going to be for your life? Can you get time off if you work to come back in? If not, go ahead and get it today.’” _Editor’s note: This story, first published Sept. 10, 2021,

has been updated to reflect new information. _