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***This website does not provide medical advice. Information provided here is intended solely for educational purposes and cannot substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your doctor/primary care physician/qualified healthcare professional for the best recommendations for you and if you are updated on all your vaccinations, not just for flu and COVID.***
Stay Up to Date with your Vaccinations!
Having had a vaccine in the past does not mean you do not need one now if it has expired; virus evolution happens fast and can eventually evade protections offered by vaccines ("All viruses can mutate, which helps the virus to evade the human immune system and cause infection and re-infection (infecting the same patient twice or more) to the human. The phenomenon is called viral escape")
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2023–2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines recommended by the CDC: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax, "protect against serious illness from COVID-19"
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Seasonal Flu vaccine that is updated for variants each year (get your flu vaccine every year)
Where to Get Vaccinated for Flu And Covid-19
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FLU Vaccine (free or insured)
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San Francisco: sf.gov
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Alameda County: acphd.org
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San Mateo County: smchealth.org
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Santa Clara County: sccgov.org
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Not in the Bay Area?: vaccines.gov (you can change the type of vaccine you are looking for in the header of the website)
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Q&A: Misconceptions about the Flu Vaccine
(Can a flu vaccine give you flu?, Is it better to get sick with flu than to get a flu vaccine?...)
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COVID-19 Vaccine
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San Francisco: sf.gov
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Alameda County: acgov.org
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San Mateo County: smchealth.org
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Santa Clara County: sccgov.org
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Not in the Bay Area?: vaccines.gov
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Tips to Stay Healthy & PROTECTING OTHERS
(like your friends, family, ...)
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What Should I Do If I Get Flu???: (video)
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Healthy Habits to Help Protect Against Flu
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When should I wear a mask? (if you are sick or have symptoms...)
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What to do when exposed to COVID-19 (what if I got COVID-19)
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TESTING Kit for COVID-19
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Why Get Vaccinated (& who should for flu)?
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getting vaccinated (flu and COVID) can decrease your risk of hospitalization, severity of illness if you are infected, and risk of infection
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For Sickle Cell: Importance of Increasing Flu Vaccine for People with Sickle Cell Disease from CDC Study; COVID19 vaccination ... not associated with increases in rates of pain crisis
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COVID-19
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Who Should Get COVID-19 Vaccine, and Who Should Not
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Flu (Influenza)
American Society of Hematology
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH)
How to stay safe From COVID-19:
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Stick to basic health hygiene, e.g. hand washing
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Vaccinate
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Improve ventilation in group gatherings
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Test for COVID-19, if feeling symptoms or been in close contact with anyone infected (order free test kits from CDC)
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Wearing a mask
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Staying home if suspected/confirmed COVID-19
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For more information: cdc.gov
Bivalent v.s. Monovalent (early booster shots)
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"The updated (bivalent) boosters are called “bivalent”
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protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5.
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Previous boosters are called “monovalent”
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protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19.
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provide some protection against Omicron, but not as much as the updated (bivalent) boosters.
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The virus that causes COVID-19 has changed over time. The different versions of the virus that have developed over time are called variants. Learn more about variants of the COVID-19 virus.
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For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, check the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) webpage.
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Finding Nearest Vaccine Clinic Near You: vaccines.gov
Learning Area: Vaccines
How do Vaccines Work? (Simple)
How do Vaccines Work? (In-depth)
Learning Area: Viruses
How do Viruses Work? (Simple)
How do Viruses Work? (in-depth)