Can the Flu Vaccine Give Me the Flu?

A sign offers customers free Covid-19 and flu vaccines at a Walgreens location in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Thursday, March 24, 2022. — A sign offers customers free Covid-19 and flu vaccines at a Walgreens location in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Thursday, March 24, 2022.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

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By Kristen V Brown

October 9, 2022 at 10:00 AM UTC

Hi folks, it’s Kristen, temporarily reporting from gray and cloudy Edinburgh. This week, we’ve got a reader wondering if the flu vaccine can make you sick. But before we get to that ...

A friend of mine got the flu a day after receiving his flu shot. Was this a coincidence or is it possible to get sick from a flu shot? Marilyn, Portland, Oregon