What flu vaccines are recommended this season?
Options this season include:
Standard dose flu shots. Like all inactivated influenza vaccines, these are given into the muscle. They are usually given with a needle, but one (Afluria Quadrivalent) can be given to some people (those 18 to 64 years old) with a jet injector.
High-dose shots for people 65 years and older.
Shots made with adjuvant for people 65 years and older.
Shots made with virus grown in cell culture. No eggs are involved in the production of this vaccine.
Shots made using a vaccine production technology (recombinant vaccine) that does not require the use of flu virus.
Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). – A vaccine made with attenuated live virus that is given by nasal spray vaccine.
There are nine flu vaccines available for the 2021-2022 flu season.
Some flu vaccines may be a better option for certain people, including older adults and those with egg allergies.
It’s best to get your flu vaccine by the end of October, but getting vaccinated later than that is still beneficial.
With flu season beginning to pick up in October, you’ve probably been seeing signs or advertisements telling you to get your annual flu shot. But with several flu vaccine options to choose from, it can be confusing to know which one to pick. Does it really make a difference which one you get?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or a little confused about which flu vaccine you should get, you’re not alone. Stick with us as we discuss the available flu vaccine options this year, possible advantages to certain vaccines, and the expected flu vaccine effectiveness.
What you need to know about the 2021-2022 flu season
While no one knows for sure just how bad the upcoming flu season will be, here’s some flu information we know so far:
Vaccine name Age range How it’s given Potential allergens
There is a table showing all flu vaccines that are FDA-approved for use in the United States during the 2021-2022 season.
There are nine vaccines that have been approved and released by the FDA for the 2021-2022 flu season. This year, all FDA-approved flu vaccines are quadrivalent — meaning they protect against four different strains of influenza (the virus that causes the flu). Here’s a rundown of the available flu vaccines for the year.
Afluria Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 6 months
or older Intramuscular Egg protein, neomycin, polymyxin
Fluad Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 65 years
or older Intramuscular Egg protein, kanamycin, neomycin, polysorbate 80
Fluarix Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 6 months
or older Intramuscular Egg protein, gentamicin, polysorbate 80
Flublok Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 18 years
or older Intramuscular Polysorbate 20
Flucelvax Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 2 years
or older Intramuscular Polysorbate 80
FluLaval Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 6 months
or older Intramuscular Egg protein, polysorbate 80
FluMist Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 2-49 years Nasal spray Egg protein, gentamicin, pork gelatin
Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 65 years
or older Intramuscular Egg protein
Fluzone Quadrivalent
(FDA package insert) 6 months
or older Intramuscular Egg protein