Who Should Get the Flu Vaccine?

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu (influenza) vaccine every season with rare exceptions, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Getting the flu vaccine is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza. They include:

• People 65 years and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease
• Pregnant women
• Children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old

Flu complications include:

• sinus and ear infection;
• inflammation of the heart, brain, and muscle tissue;
• lung and kidney failure; and
• sepsis, the body’s life-threatening response to infection.

Flu season in the Philippines is from June to November. The Department of Health (DOH) recommends getting the flu vaccination from February to June.

Consult your doctor for more information on flu vaccination. Get your flu vaccine at the participating Watsons branch near you.

References:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/symptoms.htm. Accessed 18 March 2022
https://doh.gov.ph/Health-Advisory/Influenza. Accessed 18 March 2022