Flu season is approaching, how to get the flu vaccine?

Influenza vaccination is the most cost-effective and cost-effective way to prevent influenza. September and October every year are the golden periods for influenza vaccination, and vaccinations across the country have begun one after another. Is it still too late to get a flu shot? I had the flu last year, do I need to get vaccinated again this year? I’ve been “hit” this year, do you still want to fight? What are the precautions for vaccination?

What strains are popular this year? How is the flu situation?

What strains are popular this year? How is the flu situation? Let’s find out together.

Monitoring by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that since July this year, H3N2 subtype A and Victoria strain B have been co-circulating across the country, and the proportion of H3N2 subtype A has increased and has exceeded Victoria strain B. The northern provinces are in the inter-epidemic period, and the southern provinces are at the moderate epidemic level. It is recommended to take precautions in advance.

Tu Fan, Chief of the Health Department of Majiapu Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing: The peak influenza season in China is generally from November to March of the following year. It takes 2 to 4 weeks to develop antibodies after getting the flu vaccine, so September and October are the best months to get vaccinated, which is the golden vaccination period.

Why is it recommended every year that the public get a flu shot before the pandemic season begins? Experts explain:

The level of protective antibodies produced after influenza vaccination gradually decays over time.

The protective effect of influenza vaccination generally lasts for 6-8 months.

Because influenza viruses mutate frequently, the flu vaccines may target different influenza virus strains in different years.

According to the "Technical Guidelines for Influenza Vaccination in China (2026-2027)" issued by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the three vaccine components recommended for influenza vaccines this year have been updated.

Wang Dayan, Director of the National Influenza Center at the Institute of Virology, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: There are differences in influenza viruses circulating in different seasons and years. Even within the same epidemic season, different types and subtypes of influenza viruses can alternately become dominant strains. Influenza vaccine strains for global use are recommended annually by the World Health Organization based on global influenza surveillance data. Compared with the previous year, the three influenza vaccine components have been updated this year.

What flu vaccine options are available? How to choose?

What flu vaccines are available this fall and winter? How to choose? In addition, the biggest change in this year’s influenza vaccine is the change from four prices to three prices. As of September 6, domestic batch release products have fully shifted to trivalent preparations. Is this a lower configuration of the flu vaccine?

Sorodan, Director of the Immunization Program of the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The trivalent influenza vaccine covers two types of influenza A viruses, H1N1 and H3N2, and one type of influenza B virus, the Victoria lineage; on this basis, the quadrivalent vaccine covers one more type of influenza B virus, the Yamagata lineage. Because Yamagata strain B has not been detected globally since March 2020, the World Health Organization recommended its removal from vaccine components. From 2026 to 2027, WHO will no longer provide recommended strains of the Yamagata B strain. The global influenza vaccine will be fully adjusted to trivalent vaccine, and the production and supply of quadrivalent vaccine will be stopped. The quadrivalent vaccine does not have any more advantages than the trivalent vaccine under the current epidemic situation, and the protective effects of the two vaccines are basically the same.

According to experts, all influenza vaccines currently on the market can effectively prevent influenza. There is no need to deliberately pursue price, brand, or dosage form. The most important thing is to complete the vaccination as soon as possible.

Wang Dayan, Director of the National Influenza Center at the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: The trivalent influenza vaccines on the market in my country from 2026 to 2027 include trivalent split vaccines, trivalent subunit vaccines and trivalent live attenuated vaccines. Among them, trivalent split vaccine and subunit vaccine can be used for people aged 6 months and above, including 0.25 ml and 0.5 ml specifications. The trivalent live attenuated vaccine is suitable for people aged 3 to 17 years old. Each dose is 0.2 ml. The public can choose to vaccinate according to the applicable groups and ages of different types of vaccines.

Who should be vaccinated first? Can I get vaccinated if I have a chronic disease?

Which groups should be prioritized for influenza vaccination? Can some elderly people with chronic diseases be vaccinated? Can people who are suffering from colds get vaccinated?

At the Majiabao Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing, influenza vaccination is progressing in an orderly manner, and many elderly people come to the site for consultation and vaccination. Many elderly residents told reporters that the protective effect of influenza vaccination is remarkable and they have developed the habit of getting vaccinated on time every year.

Resident Mr. Fu: I got the flu shot last year, so I came here on my own initiative today. I'm afraid of catching a cold. Sometimes a cold can easily turn into pneumonia or something like that, which would be troublesome.

Resident Ms. Hou: I fight every year. I basically don’t catch a cold in winter, and the effect is pretty good, so I keep taking it.

The reporter saw at the vaccination site that the most common question asked by the elderly is whether they can get the flu vaccine if they have chronic diseases.

Tu Fan, Chief of the Health Department of Majiabu Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing: In fact, the influenza vaccine is very friendly to the elderly whose chronic diseases are under stable control. For example, if blood sugar is controlled very well and high blood pressure is controlled very well, these conditions will not affect vaccination.

Medical staff remind you that before receiving the flu vaccine, you should truthfully inform your doctor about your past medical history, allergies, and physical condition. Can people who have a history of severe allergies to vaccine components and are currently suffering from a cold get the vaccine?

Tu Fan, Chief of the Health Department of Majiapu Community Health Service Center in Fengtai District, Beijing: If someone has a body temperature exceeding 37.3°C, muscle aches, cough, or runny nose, we recommend that he wait until the symptoms subside before being vaccinated. If you only have a slight runny nose and no other symptoms, you can be vaccinated and it will not affect vaccination.

Wang Dayan, Director of the National Influenza Center at the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: It is recommended that people aged six months and above, especially key groups such as the elderly and children, patients with chronic diseases, and people in key places such as schools, nursing homes, and welfare homes, receive influenza vaccination as early as possible before the local epidemic season.

Can getting a flu vaccine “clear” my personal medical insurance account?

The golden period for vaccination has arrived, and many people are also concerned about whether influenza vaccines can be paid for with medical insurance cards? The answer is yes, but the situation varies from place to place. Take Beijing as an example. The city has identified 178 towns and villages in 13 agricultural-related districts, including Changping District, Fangshan District, and Miyun District, to implement free influenza vaccination for all elderly and young children in rural areas. In addition, Beijing is actively promoting the implementation of allowing the use of employee medical insurance personal accounts to pay for influenza vaccinations and vaccination service fees for insured persons and insured close relatives at designated medical institutions. Currently, 414 vaccination clinics can realize personal account payment for medical insurance. However, the implementation progress may vary in different places. It is recommended to consult the local medical insurance agency before vaccination.

Many netizens are concerned, "I had the flu vaccine last year, do I still need to get it this year?" Some netizens have questions: Do I still need to get the flu vaccine if I have had the flu this year? The answer to both questions is – still.

According to experts, the level of protective antibodies produced after vaccination with the flu vaccine will gradually decay over time, and the protective effect generally only lasts for 6 to 8 months. In addition, the virus will "refresh" itself, and the vaccine will also be "adapted" to the "popular trends" of the year. Therefore, last year's vaccine may not be able to protect against this year's virus, and it is still recommended to be re-vaccinated every flu season.

Experts say don't worry if you miss the best time to get vaccinated, because vaccinations are available throughout the flu season. Even if you have had the flu this year, since two or more different virus types or subtypes may co-circulate or alternate in the same flu season, and there is a lack of effective cross-protection between different subtypes, you may still be infected with other types of influenza viruses after being infected with one of them, and you may be at risk of complications and severe illness. Therefore, it is still recommended to get vaccinated in time.

What else should I pay attention to when getting the flu vaccine?

Wang Dayan, Director of the National Influenza Center of the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Before vaccination, recipients or guardians can learn in advance the basic information of the vaccine and related vaccination procedures. When inoculating, bring the vaccination certificate or ID card, cooperate with the on-site vaccination staff to inquire, and truthfully provide the health status of the vaccination recipient and vaccination contraindications. After receiving the influenza vaccine, you need to stay at the vaccination clinic for 30 minutes according to regulations, and you can leave only if there are no abnormalities. After returning home, you should also keep the skin at the vaccination site clean and dry, and avoid scratching the vaccination site with your hands; pay attention to observe whether there are any abnormalities, consult or report to the vaccination unit or disease control agency if necessary, and seek medical treatment in a timely manner according to the situation.