On June 27, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated Influenza (flu) vaccine recommendations for the 2024-25 fall and winter respiratory illness season. Communicating now about fall vaccinations can help your audiences understand available and recommended vaccines.
Flu Topline Messages
Who should get a flu vaccine?
For the 2024-25 season, the CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, receive an updated 2024-25 flu vaccine to reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious complications this fall and winter.
What flu vaccines are available? When is the best time to get the flu vaccine?
Several flu vaccine brands have been approved for use in the United States, and all updated 2024-25 flu vaccines will protect against this season’s most prevalent flu viruses.
The 2024-25 flu vaccines are available now. September and October are the best months for most people to get vaccinated because protection may decrease over time, and flu transmission typically peaks between December and February. If you miss the recommended window, receiving a flu vaccine later in the season can still be beneficial.
Is the flu vaccine safe?
Flu vaccines were developed through a rigorous scientific process over decades and have been thoroughly tested for their safety and benefits.
Though different brands use different production technologies, all flu vaccines meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety and efficacy requirements and can be used interchangeably by most people.
Some people report mild side effects after receiving their flu vaccine, which usually start soon after vaccination and last up to 2 days. Though side effects might occur, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness.
Is the flu vaccine effective?
The flu is a potentially fatal, contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. On average, 26.8 million Americans become infected with the flu every year. Seasonal flu vaccine effectiveness studies show that flu vaccination, on average, reduces the risk of serious illness by 40% to 60%. Each year’s flu vaccine is based on which flu strains are most likely to be in circulation.
Vaccines activate the body’s immune response against the flu virus, which can then protect people from severe respiratory illness. Vaccination is especially important and effective in the fall and winter when respiratory diseases circulate in high volume across the country.
When administered as advised by healthcare professionals, flu vaccines can:
- Prevent flu infection.
- Reduce the severity and duration of flu symptoms and illness.
- Save the lives of adults and children.
When should children receive the flu vaccine?
The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older receive a yearly FDA-approved and age-appropriate flu vaccine. September and October are the best months for most people to get vaccinated.
For children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years who are getting vaccinated for the first time or have only previously received one dose of flu vaccine, two doses of flu vaccine are needed. The CDC recommends that these children get the first dose as soon as the vaccine is available because the second dose needs to be given at least four weeks after the first.
What type of vaccine should children receive?
Flu shots and nasal spray flu vaccines are options for most children. Caregivers should ask their child’s healthcare professional or a local pharmacist about which vaccines and how many doses are right for their child.
Children under 6 months are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Their caregivers should get a flu vaccine to help prevent or lessen the spread to this high-risk group.
When should adults receive the flu vaccine?
September and October are the best months for most people to get vaccinated. The CDC recommends that all adults receive an FDA-approved, age-appropriate flu vaccine yearly. People should talk to a local pharmacist or their healthcare professional about which option is right for them.
What is the flu vaccine guidance for people who are pregnant?
People who are pregnant should get a flu vaccine to protect themselves and their babies from the flu. Flu vaccination during pregnancy can protect the baby from flu for several months after birth.
The flu vaccine can be given during any trimester of pregnancy, though September or October are usually the best months to get vaccinated. People who are pregnant should ask their healthcare professional or a local pharmacist about the best time to get vaccinated that would be most effective for them and their baby.
Communicating now about fall vaccinations can help your audiences understand available and recommended vaccines.
Flu Supporting Messages
What has changed about the flu vaccine from last year to this year?
All flu vaccines for the 2024-25 season will be formulated to protect against three flu virus strains. The current flu vaccines have been updated to include the strains most likely to circulate this year.
Does insurance cover the vaccine? What if someone does not have insurance?
For adults and children who HAVE insurance, an annual flu vaccine should be free.
For adults and children who do NOT HAVE insurance, there are free or very low-cost flu vaccine options available. People should talk to a local pharmacist or their healthcare professional about their options.
Can the updated 2024-25 flu and COVID-19 vaccines be taken on the same day?
Yes. Both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered on the same visit.
How to Communicate about Flu Vaccinations
Here are some suggestions and questions to consider when communicating about the 2024-25 flu season:
Understand your audience.
The more specific you can get about your audience, the more effective you can be in providing useful, relevant information. Answer the following:
- Which populations in our community have the highest or lowest flu vaccination rates? What messages and/or support do they need?
- What do I know about my community’s feelings about the flu? How have perceptions about vaccines changed over the last four years as the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved and/or in relation to other public health issues?
- How/where can I effectively communicate the various ways my community can protect themselves and others from the flu?
Encourage people to make informed choices.
By engaging without dictating, you can build trust in your community and increase their willingness to act on your message. Consider:
- Suggesting that your community members talk to healthcare professionals.
- Gathering and sharing multiple and diverse trusted resources so people can find guidance that resonates with them.
- Balancing positive, encouraging language with realistic, scientific language to clearly communicate the potential severity of the illness and the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing it.
Showcase the scientific rigor behind flu vaccines.
In general, concerns about vaccines are often rooted in fear of the unknown and widely circulated misinformation about the approval process for vaccines. Discuss the details of flu vaccine development to bust myths while addressing FAQs. Consider:
- Sharing resources about how flu vaccines were developed from research to distribution.
- Creating plain language and visually interesting illustrations of clinical trial reports, vaccine success, or other data that supports vaccines.
- Creating resources specifically for different age groups (e.g., older adults, college students, or parents with children of specific age groups) to explain what makes the vaccine safe.
Highlight the flu vaccine’s ability to reduce disease spread and serious illness.
Share plain language information on the safety and effectiveness of flu vaccines in comparison to flu illness. Consider:
- Communicating about how flu vaccines have kept high-risk groups safe since they became available.
- Sharing that the flu vaccine is still working for a person even if they experience the flu, as the vaccine helps to reduce the severity of the illness, the need for a medical appointment, the likelihood of hospitalization, and the risk of dying from the flu.
- Using interactive social media campaigns that educate followers about the flu vaccine’s benefits (for example: a challenge that asks followers to share why they got vaccinated using a specific hashtag).
- Highlighting personal stories of vaccines—including but not limited to flu— that have impacted your community’s health.
Read our Communicating More Effectively About Vaccines guide for additional messaging guidance on this topic. You can also read our Plain Language for Public Health Checklist and Bridging Statements Guide for more tips on sharing effective, relevant, and accessible communications.
Additional Flu Resources
For additional information about 2024-2025 flu vaccines, visit:
