There are many reasons to get an influenza (flu) vaccine each year. Because of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 will be more important than ever. Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden or flu illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths on the health care system and conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19.

Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination and selected scientific studies that support these benefits.

Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.

Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year. For example, during 2019-2020, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7.5 million influenza illnesses, 3.7 million influenza-associated medical visits, 105,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 6,300 influenza-associated deaths.
During seasons when the flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40 percent to 60 percent.

Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization for children, working age adults, and older adults.

Flu vaccination is an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions.

Flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease, especially among those who had had a cardiac event in the past year.
Flu vaccination can reduce worsening and hospitalization for flu-related chronic lung disease, such as in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Flu vaccination also has been shown in separate studies to be associated with reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease.
Many people at higher risk from flu also seem to be at higher risk from COVID-19.

Flu vaccination helps protect women during and after pregnancy.

Vaccination reduces the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant women by about one-half.
A 2018 study that included influenza seasons from 2010-2016 showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent.
A number of studies have shown that in addition to helping to protect pregnant women, a flu vaccine given during pregnancy helps protect the baby from flu for several months after birth, when he or she is not old enough to be vaccinated.

Flu vaccine can be lifesaving in children.

A 2017 study was the first of its kind to show that flu vaccination can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from flu.

Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.

A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized flu patients.
A 2018 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients were 59 percent less likely to be admitted to the ICU than those who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with flu, vaccinated patients on average spent 4 fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions. Despite the many benefits offered by flu vaccination, only about half of Americans get an annual flu vaccine and flu continues to cause millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths. Many more people could be protected from flu if more people got vaccinated.*References for the studies listed above can be found at Publications on Influenza Vaccine Benefits. Also, see the A Strong Defense Against Flu: Get Vaccinated! fact sheet.

Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine

Why should people get vaccinated against flu?

How do flu vaccines work?

What kind of flu vaccines are available?

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Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over others?

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Who should not be vaccinated?

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When should I get vaccinated?

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Where can I get a flu vaccine?

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Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?

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Does flu vaccine work right away?

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Does a flu vaccine increase your risk of getting COVID-19?

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Vaccine effectiveness

Can I get seasonal flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?

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What protection does a flu vaccine provide if I do get sick with flu?

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What are benefits of flu vaccination?

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What is meant by a good match between viruses in the vaccine and circulating influenza viruses?

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What if circulating viruses and the vaccine viruses are different?

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Why is there sometimes not a good match between a vaccine virus and circulating viruses?

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Will this season's vaccine be a good match for circulating viruses?

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Can a flu vaccine give me flu?

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What side effects can occur after getting a flu vaccine?

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How much influenza vaccine is projected to be available for the 2020-2021 influenza season?

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Where can I find information about vaccine supply?

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Source

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What kind of flu vaccines are available?

Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over others?

Who should not be vaccinated?

When should I get vaccinated?

Where can I get a flu vaccine?

Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?

Does flu vaccine work right away?

Does a flu vaccine increase your risk of getting COVID-19?

Can I get seasonal flu even though I got a flu vaccine this year?

What protection does a flu vaccine provide if I do get sick with flu?

What are benefits of flu vaccination?

What is meant by a good match between viruses in the vaccine and circulating influenza viruses?

What if circulating viruses and the vaccine viruses are different?

Why is there sometimes not a good match between a vaccine virus and circulating viruses?

Will this season's vaccine be a good match for circulating viruses?

Can a flu vaccine give me flu?

What side effects can occur after getting a flu vaccine?

How much influenza vaccine is projected to be available for the 2020-2021 influenza season?

Where can I find information about vaccine supply?

Source