Can Your Child Get Their Flu Shot If They Have a Cold?
Key takeaways:
Children should get their flu shots in September or October, before peak flu season. But kids are often sick during those early fall months, leaving parents wondering if their kids can get a flu shot while they have a cold.
Most kids can get immunizations when sick as long as they aren’t seriously ill and only have mild cold symptoms.
Your child can get the flu vaccine and take antibiotics at the same time. You don’t have to delay your child’s flu vaccine if they’re taking antibiotics.
About 9% of all U.S. children get the flu every year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). That’s a lot of sick kids!
The AAP recommends every child 6 months and older to get the flu shot, especially if they’re at high risk for serious illness from the flu. You may already know that the best time to get a flu shot is by the end of October, before the flu season starts.
But thanks to back to school, many kids are usually dealing with coughs and colds during those early fall months. Many parents and caregivers are hesitant to get a sick kid vaccinated. But do you really need to hold off on a flu shot just because your child has a cold?
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Let’s look at when you can get a flu shot while sick and when it’s best to reschedule that flu shot visit.
Can children get the flu shot if they’re already sick?
Yes. It’s safe for a child to get a flu shot even if they’re sick with a mild illness.
But what exactly is a mild illness? In general, mild illnesses are those you can treat at home with over-the-counter (OTC) medication and home remedies.
Mild illnesses include common conditions like:
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Children with these illnesses might not feel their best, but they aren’t sick enough to need care in a hospital either. In these cases, it can be perfectly safe to give your child their flu shot, even if they’re feeling sick or have a low-grade fever.
Talk with your child’s primary care provider if you’re not sure whether your child should get a flu shot. They can help you decide if it’s best to wait or if it’s safe to go ahead with the vaccine.
Can children get a flu shot while taking antibiotics?
Yes. Your child can get their flu shot when they’re taking antibiotics.
Antibiotics fight bacterial infections, while the flu shot helps protect you from getting sick with the influenza virus.
Your immune system responds to a flu vaccination by making antibodies against the flu virus.
Antibiotics don’t affect how that process works.
Antibiotics won’t make the influenza vaccine less effective. And your child’s immune system can handle responding to a vaccine while also dealing with a mild bacterial infection with the help of antibiotics.
Will getting the flu shot make a child’s illness worse?
No, the flu shot will not make your child’s illness worse.
Healthy children with a normal immune system can handle both dealing with a mild illness and making antibodies in response to influenza vaccination.
Getting a flu shot will not make your child’s illness last longer. Your child may experience side effects from the flu shot like soreness at the injection site and fatigue. But the flu shot won’t worsen your child’s other symptoms.
How sick is too sick to get a vaccine?
Your child’s healthcare professional can help you determine if your child is too sick to get the flu vaccine. In general, if your child requires care in the hospital, they shouldn’t get a flu vaccine until they start to recover from their illness.
Once they are on the mend though, they can get their flu shot. In fact, many hospitals offer flu vaccinations on the day of discharge. A child who’s still recovering from a moderate or severe illness can become extremely sick from the flu. So you want to make sure your child is protected against the flu during their recovery. A flu shot is the best protection against illness.
Your child may also need to delay their flu shot if they have a high fever from COVID-19 or another infection, even if they don’t need care in the hospital. Your child’s healthcare professional can help you determine if your child should delay their flu shot.
Your child may also need to delay their flu shot if they’re receiving cancer treatment or certain immunotherapies or if they have a weakened immune system.
The bottom line
Most kids older than 6 months can — and should — get a flu shot. These vaccines can prevent and lessen the severity of flu illness.
September or October is the best time to get the flu shot. But kids are often sick during these months. Kids can still get a flu shot when sick as long as they only have a mild illness. Children can even get a flu vaccination and take antibiotics at the same time. Talk with your child’s primary care provider about whether your child can safely get a flu vaccine while they’re sick. Most of the time, you don’t need to delay your child’s flu shot because of a cold or mild viral illness.
Why trust our experts?
References
Bowhouse. (2021). Can I have the flu vaccine and COVID-19 booster vaccine together if I am taking antibiotics? Antibiotic Research UK.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Vaccines when your child is sick.
Committee on Infectious Diseases. (2023). Recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children, 2023–2024. Pediatrics.
HealthyChildren.org. (n.d.). Flu. American Academy of Pediatrics.
