Which Flu Vaccine Is Right for Me? 7 Quick Tips to Know Before Getting Your Flu Shot

With the start of flu season upon us, it is a prime time to begin thinking about prevention. One of the most effective ways to prevent getting the flu is through vaccination. The ideal time to get a flu shot is during September and October, but it is never too late to get vaccinated any time during the flu season.

This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone ages 6 months and up receive a flu vaccine that is approved for their age and health condition. With several products available on the market this year, deciding which flu vaccine is right for you may be a challenge.

What Is the Difference Between Each Flu Vaccine? This flu season, nine approved flu vaccines are available on the market. Seven products are quadrivalent, and two are trivalent. Quadrivalent vaccines contain four different strains of the flu virus, while trivalent products contain three different strains of the virus.

What Is in a Trivalent Flu Vaccine? The following are the ingredients in this year’s trivalent vaccines:

• Influenza A (H1N1)
• Influenza A (H3N2)
• Influenza B (Victoria lineage)

The two trivalent products available are FLUAD and Fluzone High-Dose. Both trivalent vaccines are indicated for people 65 years of age or older.

What Is in a Quadrivalent Vaccine? This season’s quadrivalent vaccines contain the following virus strains:

• Influenza A (H1N1)
• Influenza A (H3N2)
• Influenza B (Victoria lineage)
• Influenza B (Yamagata lineage)

Several quadrivalent vaccines are available this year, and they differ in their age indications and mode of production. Most quadrivalent vaccines use inactivated flu virus that is grown in chicken eggs. The following vaccines fall in this category:

• Afluria
• Fluarix
• FluLaval
• Fluzone

Flucelvax is also quadrivalent, but it is not made with eggs. Manufacturers use animal cells instead of eggs to produce this vaccine. Advantages of developing Flucelvax include faster production of the vaccine and the potential for improved effectiveness of the vaccine. Flublok is another quadrivalent vaccine that is not grown in eggs. It is made by mixing a gene from a flu virus protein with parts of another virus. Like Flucelvax, production of Flublok is faster than that of egg-grown vaccines. FluMist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine for people ages 2 to 49. It is made with a weakened flu virus and administered as a nasal spray. Although in the past there were questions regarding the efficacy of the live vaccine, the manufacturer of FluMist has made changes to the vaccine, and the CDC now recommends its use. If you choose to use FluMist, keep in mind that there are some contraindications, such as the following:

• Asthma
• Pregnancy
• Compromised immune system
• Use within 48 hours of receiving medication to treat the flu

RxSaver offers the flu shot for $37 at

How Do I Know which Flu Vaccine Is Right for Me? With the myriad of options available today, deciding which flu vaccine is right for you can be overwhelming. The most common way to determine which vaccine is appropriate for you is by age. On the lists below, you will see that different products are indicated for different age groups. Your pharmacist will use the vaccine that is appropriate for your age.

Quadrivalent Vaccines:

• Afluria: Indicated for ages 6 months to 64 years and grown in eggs
• Fluarix: Indicated for ages 6 months and up and grown in eggs
• FluLaval: Indicated for ages 6 months and up and grown in eggs
• Fluzone: Indicated for ages 6 months to 35 months and grown in eggs
• Flucelvax: Indicated for ages 4 years and up and grown in cell culture

Trivalent Vaccines:

• FLUAD: Indicated for ages 65 years and up and grown in eggs
• Fluzone High**–**Dose: Indicated for ages 65 years and up and grown in eggs

Quadrivalent Recombinant Vaccine:

• Flublok: Indicated for ages 18 years and up and made by recombinant technology

Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Vaccine:

• FluMist: Indicated for ages 2 through 48 years and grown in eggs

Is There a Flu Vaccine for Seniors? As you age, it becomes more difficult for your body to mount an immune response after receiving a vaccine. Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD are both designed for people ages 65 and older. Fluzone High-Dose contains four times the amount of flu virus protein that the regular-dose vaccines have, thus facilitating the immune response. FLUAD is different in that it has the same amount of flu virus as the regular vaccines, but it uses an adjuvant to help induce an immune response. An adjuvant is a substance that facilitates an immune response and reduces the amount of virus needed in the vaccine. If fewer viruses are required to produce a vaccine, more vaccines can be made.

Is There a Flu Vaccine for Infants? The CDC recommends that infants 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine. The following vaccines are indicated for ages 6 months and up:

• Afluria
• Fluarix
• FluLaval
• Fluzone (not the High-Dose)

If your infant did not receive a flu vaccine previously, he or she should receive two doses of flu vaccine given four weeks apart.

How Much Do Flu Vaccines Cost? Most health insurance plans cover flu vaccines 100%. If you are uninsured, however, you can expect to see prices ranging between $40 and $45 for the quadrivalent vaccines and between $60 and $70 for the high-dose and adjuvant vaccines. If the prices are too high, you can talk to your pharmacist about using available discount coupons to help lower the cost.

RxSaver offers a $37 coupon for the flu shot at your local CVS Pharmacy. Simply show the coupon to the pharmacist when you go in for your shot.

Remember that the best way to prevent the flu is through vaccination. The cost of one vaccine is minimal in comparison to the price of medications to treat the flu and the value of your lost wages if you are out of work due to illness.