Why Getting the Flu Shot Is Critical for People with Asthma

Getting the influenza vaccine (flu vaccine) is essential when flu season arrives in late summer and fall. For people with asthma at risk for flu-related complications, the vaccine offers critical protection. Respiratory viruses can trigger asthma attacks and cause severe illness that requires emergency medical care.

The flu vaccine for the 2025-26 season is now available at your doctor’s office, local clinic, pharmacy and some supermarkets. It is the best insurance against getting sick with the flu and passing it on to others in your family or community.

The flu vaccine is once again a trivalent vaccine, typically delivered in one dose. The viruses in the vaccine are inactivated, meaning they cannot cause the flu. It will help protect against three main groups of circulating seasonal flu viruses: A(H1N1) virus, A(H3N2) virus, and B/Victoria virus. The A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses are the most common flu strains. A(H3N2) is often more severe, especially among the elderly and young children.

Health experts are warning that a mutated version of the influenza A(H3N2) virus could cause a severe flu season in 2025-26. The mutated strain, called subclade K, is spreading in countries in the Northern Hemisphere. This year’s flu vaccine is not a match for subclade K, but it should still provide some protection.

Remember, no vaccine is 100% effective. Viruses can mutate quickly and different versions can emerge. You may still get sick from a circulating virus even if you get vaccinated. If you do get sick, the vaccines are proven to help prevent severe symptoms, hospitalization and death.

Who should get a flu shot?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu vaccine to all people 6 months of age or older, especially those who are at high risk for flu complications. People who are at high risk for serious complications include:

• people who are 65 years or older
• people with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma or COPD
• pregnant women

Most people receive the flu vaccine as an injection. A nasal spray called FluMist® is also available. In addition to getting FluMist at a doctor’s office, clinic or pharmacy, you can also obtain it by mail delivery to your home. It’s the first flu vaccine available for self-administration at home. FluMist is approved for adults and children ages 2-49.

It’s important to note that vaccines may vary in effectiveness year to year. It can depend on the match to circulating strains of the flu virus. However, even partial protection against flu infection can reduce severity.

If you are recovering from a cold or are COVID-19 positive, you should delay getting the flu vaccine until you are no longer ill.

Read the latest flu vaccine recommendations from CDC for the 2025-26 flu season.

Find a pharmacy near you that offers the flu vaccine at Vaccines.gov.

Why is it important for people with asthma to get a flu shot every year?

All people with asthma are at risk for flu complications even if their asthma is well controlled. It’s especially important for people with moderate to severe asthma. Flu can result in inflamed airways and trigger asthma symptoms, including an asthma attack. People with asthma are more likely to develop pneumonia if they are sick with flu than people who do not have asthma. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs.

More than 28.2 million people in the United States have asthma, and 10 people die from the disease daily. Protection against the flu is vital.

What are flu symptoms?

Flu symptoms are similar across all strains of the virus. They tend to come on very suddenly. Common flu symptoms include:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Wheezing (especially if diagnosed with asthma)
• Sore throat
• Chills (sometimes with shaking)
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Extreme fatigue or feeling very tired

While the flu is primarily a respiratory illness, stomach issues can occur alongside common symptoms, especially with influenza B. This means some people with the flu may also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as symptoms.

The flu can also lead to bronchitis, which is inflammation of the bronchial tubes. This can cause severe coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

What preventive steps are necessary for people with asthma during flu season?

First, it’s recommended you get the flu vaccine. The flu shot and asthma control offer vital protection. It is best to get the vaccine in September or October, when flu season typically begins. But any time is better than not at all.

Make sure you have an updated Asthma Action Plan developed with your doctor. Follow the Asthma Action Plan for taking quick-relief and daily controller medications. If your child has asthma, make sure the school has the Asthma Action Plan on file.

Take your asthma medications exactly as your doctor prescribes. Quick-relief inhalers are for sudden asthma symptoms. Daily controller inhalers encourage long-term asthma control. Be sure you are using correct inhaler technique. This can help you maximize the amount of asthma medication that reaches your lungs. Demonstrate your technique with your doctor so you can ensure you’re using it properly.

Avoid asthma triggers that can cause you to have an asthma attack. Common triggers may include:

• respiratory illness, such as a cold or the flu
• outdoor allergens such as pollen or mold
• cigarette smoke
• air pollution
• indoor allergens such as pet dander, dust mites, mice or cockroaches

If you get sick with flu symptoms, call your doctor right away. The antiviral drug oseltamivir – commonly known as Tamiflu® – can be used by people with asthma. It is most effective if used within 48 hours after onset of symptoms. People with asthma should not use zanamivir (Relenza®) or peramivir (Rapivab®) because they may make asthma worse and cause wheezing.

What are current recommendations for egg allergy and the flu vaccine?

Many people with egg allergy mistakenly believe they should avoid the flu vaccine. Most flu vaccines do contain a tiny amount of egg protein. Current CDC guidelines say flu vaccines do not pose a risk for an allergic reaction to eggs. So it is considered safe for people with egg allergy to receive the flu vaccine.

As a precaution, people who have had an allergic reaction to egg or needed to use epinephrine for egg allergy reaction can ask to get the flu vaccine in a medical setting. This way proper treatment is readily available in case of an allergic reaction. But in 2023, CDC said this precaution is no longer necessary.

If you are still concerned about the egg allergy risk from the flu vaccine, ask your healthcare provider about cell- or recombinant-based flu vaccines. These are egg-free and also available to the public.

Any person who has experienced a severe allergic reaction to other components in the flu vaccine should not get a flu vaccine.

What are common flu vaccine side effects?

Side effects to the flu vaccine are typically mild. They usually go away within a few hours. They include soreness, redness or swelling at the flu shot injection site. Some people may also experience tiredness, muscle aches, headache, or a low-grade fever. This occurs as the immune system works to adjust to the vaccine.

Severe allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. The rate of anaphylaxis from all vaccines is 1.31 for every 1 million vaccines given.

Can I get the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time?

Yes. You can get the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, if you so choose. You can also get the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine at the same time as the flu and COVID-19 vaccine – again, if you so choose.

Will the flu shot help fight COVID-19?

No. The flu vaccine is not a COVID-19 treatment. It offers no protection from COVID-19. A separate vaccine is available for COVID-19 and it’s recommended for people with asthma.