Frequently asked questions about the flu vaccine

Most members can get their flu vaccine at no extra cost. This is because it’s part of the preventive care benefits required by the Affordable Care Act.

Some Blue Shield of California plans have low out-of-pocket costs for the flu vaccination. If you have any questions, call the customer service phone number located on your member ID card.

To view preventive care benefits, you can:

• Log in to your member dashboard and click “Benefits” under the “myblueshield” tab.
• Check your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) or Certificate of Insurance.

If you are still not sure if you have out-of-pocket costs for flu vaccinations, please call the Customer Service number on your member ID card.

You can go to your doctor's office or, if your plan includes prescription drug benefits, to an in-network pharmacy. If your member ID card has an “RxPCN” or “RxBIN” number, you have prescription drug benefits. Depending on your plan, other flu vaccination locations and services may be available to you. Visit our locations page to find a location near you.

Please note:

• Some locations may not have access to all the types of flu vaccines.
• Some pharmacy locations may have minimum age restrictions on who can receive the vaccine.

Contact the location before you go to find out if they have flu vaccine you need or if they have any age restrictions.

Check your Blue Shield member ID card for a “RxPCN” or “RxBIN” number. If you see either of these, then your medical plan includes pharmacy benefits.

If this information is not on your member ID card, you may have prescription drug benefits through another company or pharmacy benefit manager (PBM). Please check with your employer or human resources department.

If you have this type of plan, please visit your doctor to get your flu shot. Your vaccination will be covered by your medical benefits, not your prescription drug benefits with Blue Shield.

Influenza, or “flu”, is a highly contagious, viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs). It can also affect many other organs in the body and cause serious complications - even death.

• A person infected with the flu virus can infect other people for seven days after becoming sick.
• Influenza is often accompanied by fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also common symptoms.

Make plans to get the flu vaccine in the early fall, before flu season begins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get a flu shot by the end of October. It takes about two weeks after getting the vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu.

Yes. Ask your doctor which type of vaccine is best for you. Options this season include:

• Standard dose flu vaccines
• High-dose vaccines for people 65 years and older
• Egg-free flu vaccines
• Nasal spray flu vaccine for ages 2 through 49

The main risk of not getting the flu vaccine is that it increases your chances of getting the flu.

• The flu usually lasts 7 to 10 days, with 5 to 6 days of limited activity and about 3 days of bed rest.
• Each year, millions get sick with the flu and thousands are hospitalized because of severe complications.
• The flu is unpredictable. No one knows how deadly influenza will be each year.
• Infants and young children, people 65 years of age and older, pregnant people, and people with certain health conditions or a weakened immune system are at greatest risk of flu complications.
  • People with diabetes are six times more likely to be hospitalized with flu and have a three times higher risk of flu-related death.
  • Those diagnosed with heart disease have a ten times increased risk of heart attack following a flu infection

The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older should get an annual flu shot, with rare exceptions.

Children younger than 5 years old - especially those younger than 2 - are at higher risk of developing flu-related complications.

Some people should talk with a doctor first before getting a flu vaccination - including those who:

• Have a severe allergy to eggs
• Have had a severe reaction to a previous flu vaccine
• Have developed Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of getting a flu vaccine
• Have a moderate to severe illness or are feeling sick

Serious allergic reactions to the flu vaccine are very rare.

Some people have mild side effects after receiving the flu vaccine. The most common are:​

• Soreness
• Redness
• Tenderness
• Swelling at the injection site

Low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches also may occur, according to the CDC.

If these reactions occur, they mostly begin soon after vaccination and last one to two days. It is important to note, the most common reactions to the vaccine are much less severe than the symptoms caused by the actual flu illness.

How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can vary from season to season. The vaccine’s effectiveness also can vary based on who is being vaccinated. 

Two main factors impact how well the vaccine can protect a person from flu illness:

1. The age and health of the person.
2. The similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community.

The CDC performs studies each year to see how well the flu vaccine protects against flu illness. While vaccine effectiveness can vary, recent studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by 40% to 60% among the overall population. This is during seasons when most of the flu viruses going around are well-matched to those used to make the flu vaccines.

Remember: Getting the flu shot may mean you get milder symptoms and have a shorter duration if you do get the flu.

Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccinations over the past 50 years, according to the CDC.

Severe allergic reactions from a vaccine are very rare. They’re estimated at less than one in a million doses. If a reaction were to occur, it would likely be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

As with any vaccination, look for any unusual symptoms occurring shortly after receiving the vaccine. These can include a high fever, behavior changes, or signs of a severe allergic reaction.

Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Hoarseness or wheezing
• Swelling around the eyes or lips
• Hives
• Paleness
• Weakness
• A fast heartbeat or dizziness

Life-threatening allergic reactions to the flu vaccine are very rare. These signs would most likely happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccine is given.