Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Media Relations >
  • News Releases >
  • 031419 Smith Compressed FluVax
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS

When is the Best Time to Get a Flu Shot?

For Journalists

Allison Hydzik
Director, Science and Research
412-647-9975
hydzikam@upmc.edu

Courtney Caprara
Manager
412-647-6190
capraracl@upmc.edu

Want to Make an Appointment or Need Patient Information?
Contact UPMC at

1-800-533-8762.

Go to Find a Doctor to search for a UPMC doctor.

2 NEW PITT HS

3/14/2019

PITTSBURGH – When flu season peaks after mid-winter, tens of thousands of influenza cases and hundreds of deaths can likely be avoided if older adults wait until October to get their flu immunization, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis reveals in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 

 

The protection offered by the flu vaccine wanes as the season progresses, a previous study has shown, which indicates that waiting until closer to the start of flu season ensures greater immunity. However, if flu season arrives early or if delayed vaccination prompts more than one in 20 people who would otherwise be vaccinated to skip their flu shot, then the gains are negated, according to the new study, which is online now. 

 

“There’s controversy in the public health community over whether influenza vaccination should happen as soon as the vaccine becomes available in August, or if it’s better to wait until later in the fall,” said lead author Kenneth J. Smith, M.D., M.S., professor of medicine and clinical and translational science in Pitt’s Division of General Internal Medicine. “What we’ve found is that it’s a balancing act, but if a clinician believes a patient will return for vaccination in the fall, then our analysis shows that it is best if they advise that patient to wait.”

 

Smith and his co-authors ran computer models to compare a “compressed” vaccination period that begins in October to the status quo, which typically begins in August, for people aged 65 or older. They focused on older adults because waning vaccine effectiveness is more of a threat to the elderly whose immune systems don’t typically mount as strong of a defense to infections as younger people. Older adults also have higher early vaccination rates than younger adults.  

 

Using data from the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 flu seasons, the researchers forecast the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths for compressed and status quo vaccination scenarios if the flu season had peaked in December, February or April – early, normal or late, respectively. “Peak” refers to the period when the greatest number of people are sick that season.

 

In the projections for the normal and late flu seasons, compressed vaccination saved as many as 258 lives and prevented up to 22,062 cases of flu, compared to status quo vaccination timing. 

 

But if flu season peaked early, as it does in about one of every four seasons, the model projected that dozens to hundreds of older adults would die because they wouldn’t have been vaccinated in time. 

 

In addition, the team found that if more than 5.5 percent of older adults who defer vaccination ultimately don’t get the flu shot, then compressed vaccination will be a failure and will prevent fewer influenza cases than status quo vaccination. 

 

Smith says these findings can help clinicians determine when to offer their patients flu immunizations – if the patients have multiple appointments each year and will be in the office in the fall or if they are in a senior community where flu immunization is offered through a scheduled clinic, then waiting is likely advisable. But if a patient comes in only for an annual check-up and is unlikely to seek out the flu vaccine in the fall, or if offering vaccinations during a compressed window will put overwhelming strain on the clinic, then getting vaccinated when convenient – even if that’s in August – is best.

 

“In all scenarios, simply getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid the flu,” said Smith. “If the choice is between getting the influenza immunization early or not getting it at all, getting it early is definitely better.”

 

Additional authors on this research are Glenson France, M.A., Mary Patricia Nowalk, Ph.D., Jonathan M. Raviotta, M.P.H., Angela Wateska, M.P.H., and Richard K. Zimmerman, M.D., M.P.H., all of Pitt; Jay DePasse, B.S., of Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Super Computing Center; and Eunha Shim, Ph.D., of Soongsil University in South Korea. 

 

This research was funded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant no. R01 GM111121.
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE