Yes. You are at a higher risk for complications due to flu because of your age. As you age, your immune system becomes less effective, making you more vulnerable to diseases like the flu.³

Flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. Flu vaccines used in older adults use inactivated (“killed”) viruses, or those with no flu virus at all (known as recombinant vaccines), neither of which can cause flu-related infection. Sometimes people may not feel well shortly after they get vaccinated and assume there is a connection, but any flu-like symptoms you might experience may be part of your body’s reaction as it develops antibodies, or it could be an unrelated illness. If you do get the flu soon after getting the shot, it could be that you were exposed before you were vaccinated; it takes about 2 weeks after getting the shot for you to have an immune response. It’s also possible for you to get the flu despite getting vaccinated, especially if you were exposed to a flu virus that is different from the viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against. Even if you do get influenza despite vaccination, the vaccine helps reduce your chances of a severe flu illness and hospitalization.²

On average, getting the flu vaccine reduces the chance of getting the flu by 40%-60% among the overall population.^4,5 The “match” between the virus strains that are in the vaccine and those that are “going around,” as well as underlying individual characteristics of the vaccine recipient, can affect how well the vaccines work each year.⁴ But, getting a flu shot each year is the single best way to prevent getting the flu.⁵ Even if you do get the flu after having gotten a flu shot, vaccination can help prevent hospitalization, death, and long-term physical decline.^3,4 This is especially important for older adults who are more at risk for these serious complications.³

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people 6 months of age and older should receive an annual flu vaccine.⁵

Flu viruses are constantly changing, and each year’s vaccine is updated to try to keep up with these changes.⁴ Also, antibody levels after vaccination decline over the year after vaccination. For these reasons, annual vaccination is especially important.⁴

Another benefit of flu vaccination for older adults is that it reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.³

Finally, by getting vaccinated, you are protecting not only yourself, but also your family, friends, and other people who are around you.⁶

Just because you haven’t had the flu before does not mean you can’t get it this flu season. There is no way to know if you will get the flu this year or not, or how severe your illness will be.⁴ As you get older, you are at higher risk of complications, including hospitalization or even death.³ You could also have problems even after you recover from the flu itself that could impact what you can do in your everyday life.³

Flu vaccines have excellent safety records. Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and there has been extensive research supporting the safety of flu vaccines.⁷ The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all people 6 months of age and older should receive an annual flu vaccine.⁴

Getting a flu shot every year is the best way to help prevent getting the flu.⁴ Though flu vaccines often have not worked as well in older adults compared with young, healthy adults, vaccination can help reduce the severity of your symptoms and can also help prevent potentially serious complications and/or disability.⁴ The CDC recommends that people age 65 years and older preferentially get specific flu vaccines (higher-dose, recombinant, and adjuvanted) that work better in older adults; ask your provider about which flu vaccine is best for you.⁸