Can You Get Your Flu Shot If You’re Already Sick? Experts Explain

The holiday season often means lots of extra stress. One moment you’re scrambling to complete work projects before the year ends, and the next you’re coordinating travel plans and family dinners. Throughout the season, you try your hardest to avoid getting sick. But oftentimes, that’s easier said than done — especially during cold, flu, and COVID season.

It’s almost inevitable that you’ll get hit with a cold at some point this winter, even if you’re taking all possible precautions, like wearing a face mask, limiting large indoor gatherings, and washing your hands frequently (and for at least 20 seconds at a time). So what happens if you start experiencing cold symptoms just before you had planned to get your flu shot? Can you get a flu shot if you have a cold? In some cases, you can still plan to get the shot anyway — but there are a couple of major exceptions. For more information, here’s what to know about getting a flu shot while sick, according to doctors.

Philip Johnson, MD, is a board certified physician and division director, professor, and vice-chair for the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

Jayne Morgan, MD, is a cardiologist and the executive director of health and community education at the Piedmont Healthcare Corporation.

Carolyn Kaloostian, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine and geriatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

In most cases, yes: you can get a flu shot even if you have a cold. That said, you may want to hold off if your symptoms are more severe. “If you are just experiencing cold symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and congestion, it’s generally fine to go ahead and get your flu shot without having to worry about it being less effective,” says Philip Johnson, MD. “You shouldn’t let a cold prevent you from getting your flu shot altogether. However, if you have a fever of over 99 degrees, it is generally advised to wait until you have recovered and your temperature has returned to normal.”

You should also make sure that you’re really dealing with a cold, and not the flu or COVID — all three of which can share symptoms. No matter what, if you’re recovering from a respiratory illness, “your body is focused on fighting that infection and may not respond as well to the vaccine,” says Jayne Morgan, MD. She adds that, according to the CDC, “very mild illness should not impact the flu vaccine,” Dr. Morgan says. Still, any side effects from the vaccine could cause you to feel worse. Therefore, she recommends talking to your healthcare team if you want to get a flu shot while sick.

If you do decide to delay your flu shot, fortunately, it’s never too late to get one. While the flu often peaks between December and February, flu season can last until May, meaning even a shot in January could keep you from getting sick. “The flu is a serious, contagious, and not rare disease that often causes hospitalization and sometimes death, particularly in those most vulnerable such as children, pregnant women, and those with weaker immune systems,” says Carolyn Kaloostian, MD, MPH. “The annual flu vaccine has been shown to be the best way to protect your loved ones and yourselves.”

And in case you’re wondering, yes, you should still get a flu vaccine even if you’ve already had the flu this season. “You can still get reinfected with a different flu strain,” Dr. Morgan explains. The risk of complications (including pneumonia and sepsis) from a second flu infection is just as high as the first, she adds.

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, it’s not advised to go in for your flu shot. “If you are COVID positive, you risk infecting others by getting a flu vaccine,” Dr. Morgan explains. Instead, she advises that you follow the appropriate isolation recommendations. If you’re not sure if you have COVID but show symptoms like a sore throat, cough, fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, or loss of taste and smell, take a COVID test before going in for your shot. Even if you test negative, consider wearing a mask to avoid inadvertently spreading COVID (in case of a false negative) or any other illnesses.

It’s also worth noting that the flu vaccine won’t protect you from COVID, but you can get both the COVID and flu vaccines at the same time (again, if you haven’t tested positive for COVID). — Additional reporting by Maggie Ryan and Chandler Plante

Emilia Benton is a freelance health and wellness journalist who is particularly passionate about sharing diverse stories and elevating underrepresented voices. In addition to PS, her work has been published by Runner’s World, Women’s Health, Self, Outside, and the Houston Chronicle, among others. Emilia is also a 13-time marathoner and a USATF Level 1-certified run coach.

Maggie Ryan was an assistant editor at PS. A longtime runner and athlete, Maggie has nearly four years of experience covering topics in the wellness space, specializing in fitness, sports, nutrition, and mental health.

Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.