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The Kitchen Table

Explain this! Covid/flu vaccines.

11 months ago

My husband had his six-month checkup yesterday, and the doctor asked if he wanted to get the flu shot, and he said yes. The nurse gave it to him and said don't get the COVID-19 vaccine for two weeks. What? I planned to do as I did last year and get them at the same time. I messaged my doc on the portal, and his answer was a non-answer. Basically said it was my decision, and either way was fine. This is so contradictory. He said something like if there were reactions and both were given at the same time, the CDC would not know which was the culprit.

Featured Answer

KW PNW Z8

10 months ago

I never get both at same time. I do want to know which one I reacted to IF I have a reaction. My sister always gets both at same time. She always has a flu like reaction & she wants to go through that only once. Several pharmacists & 2 doctors have told me doing either is fine. All agreed that if one has a reaction it would be hard to tell which shot caused it if both are received at same sitting. So, personal choice.

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Comments (9)

kathyg_in_mi
10 months ago
I got them both at the same time, this year and last year, maybe the 2 years before too.

I got one in each arm. itching and a little swelling.

I get allergy shots and have a worse reaction.

DH gets no reaction to either.
lily316 thanked kathyg_in_mi
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My ears perked up with this as I do have a shellfish allergy. From what I understand, the reactions was from people with severe allergies, and they were treated and fine. I will make sure to declare my allergies when I get the shot. I have not had any reactions to other vaccines (I got hep A and B vaccines last year, and had no issues) I used to eat shellfish and then one time about 25 years ago, after eating shrimp I broke out in crazy hives. I had no idea what was going on, as the hives came out a day after and kept going. I had never had this reaction before and actually thought maybe it was chicken pox. It was very uncomfortable, but no issues with breathing. I was tested later on and confirmed that I am allergic to shellfish. So of course, I avoid it . I have no problem if someone at the table is eating it as long as I don't.
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Heavens, kathsgarden. The number one location for home fires is the kitchen and the number one reason is unattended cooking. One should never leave the kitchen with anything cooking on the cooktop at higher than a simmer level, and especially not hot oil. I never get two immunizations at the same time. In the unlikely event I should have a reaction, I would want to know the cause. Sometimes when a syringe event burns when going in, it's because the alcohol wiped on the skin to clean it has not dried. For my first C immunization when they were first available some years back, I got Moderna's. I had a sore arm and felt lethargic for the next 24 hours or so. Subsequent ones I've steered clear of Moderna and gotten Pfizer's instead and have had no reactions at all.
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
I've had both together, different arms. No reaction to either.
lily316 thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
arcy_gw
10 months ago
Has your husband had reactions in the past? Many people get symptoms after either or. If you are one who does I would not want to compound them by having them at the same time. If you are a person who has no reactions as a rule I would go ahead and get both.
lily316 thanked arcy_gw
Toronto Veterinarian
10 months ago
I know more than a few people who get them at the same time, and the only problem was it made some of the people really tired. Others were fine.

It's not that unusual for doctors to have different opinions on things where both options are safe - they may be making recommendations based on feedback from their patients. Another might be because, if there's a negative side effect, they want to be able to identify which vaccine was responsible (because every vaccine, like every medication, has the risk of negative side effects).
sushipup2
10 months ago
Got both at the same time, same arm. No reactions at all.
lily316 thanked sushipup2
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
10 months ago
This is weird - the OP is from September - and I do remember reading it - what's going on?
lily316 thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
lily316
Original Author
10 months ago
This IS weird since I asked this in mid-September, and it's been a whole month since I got both on the same day in different arms and had zero reaction. Husband just got the Covid one then, as he had gotten the flu shot two weeks earlier. I will continue doing this and think it's the third year that I have.
Elmer J Fudd
10 months ago
I didn't see it but no matter.

I usually do it one at a time. No particular reason other than to avoid muddling the picture, should there be a reaction. to know what caused it. It's probably unnecessary because I rarely have reactions to injections but I do it anyway. I got these two about a month ago, with about a 10 day separation

There's no real inconvenience for me to go twice instead of once. There are three pharmacies 10 minutes away, though I prefer one particular one over the others. The in and out appointments rarely take more than 20 minutes. Often it's 15 minutes and sometimes less.
lily316 thanked Elmer J Fudd

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