Inactivated Influenza Vaccine should be given to:

• All children 6-23 months of age
• Household contacts and out-of-home caretakers of infants 0-23 months of age
• People 50 years of age or older
• Residents of long-term care facilities
• People who have long-term health problems with heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney disease, metabolic disease, anemia
• People with a weakened immune system
• People 6 months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin treatment
• Women who will be pregnant during influenza season
• Physicians, nurses, family members, or anyone in close contact with people at risk of influenza
• Anyone else who wants to reduce their chance of catching influenza

Live Intranasal Influenza Vaccine can be given to:

• Healthy children and adults from 5 through 49 years of age
• Household contacts of most people at high risk for influenza complications

When should you get a flu shot?

The best time to get flu vaccine is in October or November. The flu season can peak anywhere from December through March, but most often peaks in February.

Most people need only one flu vaccination each year to prevent influenza. But children under 9 years of age getting influenza vaccine for the first time should get 2 doses of vaccine. For the live influenza vaccine, these doses should be 6-10 weeks apart. With the inactivated vaccine, these doses are given one month apart.