Yes. In fact, 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.⁵

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 a recombinant vaccine), neither of which has the ability to 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 immunity, or it could be an unrelated illness. If you actually do get 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 develop immunity. 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.^6,7 Even if you do get influenza despite vaccination, the vaccine helps protect you from severe illness.⁶

On average, getting the flu vaccine reduces the chance of getting the flu by 40-60% among the overall population.⁷ The “match” between the virus strains that are in the vaccine and those that are “going around” can affect how well the vaccines work each year, as well as underlying individual characteristics of the vaccine recipient.⁷ But, getting a flu shot each year is the single best way to prevent getting the flu.⁶ Even if you do get the flu after having gotten a flu shot, vaccination can help prevent hospitalization, death, and long-term physical decline.^5,8 This is especially important for older adults who are more at risk for these serious complications.⁵

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

Flu viruses are constantly changing, and each year’s vaccine is updated to try to keep up with these changes.⁶ Also, your immune system doesn’t work as well as you age.⁶ For these reasons, an annual vaccination is especially important.

Another benefit of flu vaccination for older adults is that it reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.^9,10

Just because you haven’t had the flu before, that 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. As you get older, you are at higher risk for complications, including hospitalization or even death.⁶ You could also have problems even after you recover from the flu itself that could impact what you can do in your everyday life.⁶ Bottom line: by getting vaccinated you are not only helping to protect yourself, but also your family, friends, and other people who are around you.¹¹

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.¹² The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all people 6 months of age and older should receive an annual flu vaccine.⁶

Getting a flu shot every year is the best way to help prevent getting the flu.⁶ Though flu vaccines often have not worked as well in older adults compared to young, healthy adults,⁷ vaccination will help reduce the severity of your symptoms and will also help prevent potentially serious complications and/or disability.^5,13 There are new recommendations from the CDC for specific vaccines (higher-dose and adjuvanted) that work better in older adults and you should ask your provider about these new recommendations.¹⁴