People aged 50 to 64 years with high-risk conditions should get vaccinated as soon as possible. Healthy people in this age group are encouraged to wait until mid December, when more vaccine is available. Flu shots administered later in the season can still provide significant protection 10 to 14 days after vaccination. Influenza activity does not usually peak until after December. The Health Department recommends vaccination against pneumococcal disease.
Pneumococcal vaccine is advised for many of the same people as influenza vaccine.
For most people, the pneumococcal vaccine is given only once in a lifetime. There is no delay or manufacturing shortage of pneumococcal vaccine. High-risk people who get the pneumococcal vaccine are less likely to get pneumonia if they get the flu. The Health Department does not recommend that healthy people take antibiotics to prevent the flu. Unnecessary use of these medications may cause side effects, and may increase the likelihood that the flu virus will become resistant to these drugs.