When Is It Too Late to Get a Vaccine?
What to do if you miss a dose in a vaccine series or it’s past the recommended time to get it.
Vaccines that protect against different viruses vary when it comes to when you should get them and how many doses you need. This goes for immunizations children get when they are young, as well as vaccines for adults. But what happens if you don’t get a vaccine when it’s recommended or let too much time lapse between shots when you need to get more than one in a series? Does it make the vaccines ineffective? And what should you do?
Here are answers to questions about the ideal timing for common vaccines—and what to do if you have not followed recommended timeframes or spacing.
What should I do if my child has missed a dose of any childhood vaccines?
Children need various vaccines at different ages and many childhood vaccines require more than one dose to be fully effective. If your child has missed a dose of one or more vaccines, talk to your child’s doctor about getting catch-up vaccines. In some cases, an additional vaccine may need to be given if the timeframe between doses has been too long but it’s never too late to start or complete a series of immunizations.
When is the best time to get a flu shot?
“The recommended time to get a flu shot each year is by the end of October, before flu season ramps up,” said Antonio Escobedo MD, internal medicine doctor at PIH Health Whittwood medical office building. But if you miss that timeframe, don’t think it’s too late. Flu season may extend into April or even May, so it’s not too late to get vaccinated even in January or February. If you already had the flu, you can still get a flu shot. It helps reduce the risk of reinfection and may lessen the severity of illness if you do get sick.
Is it too late to get the HPV vaccine after a certain age?
The HPV vaccine is highly effective against nine strains of HPV, some of which may increase your risk for cervical and other cancers. The ideal time to start the vaccine series is around age 11 or 12, before potentially being exposed to the virus, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone get the vaccine by age 26 if not vaccinated when younger. Those starting the vaccine series at age 15 or older will need three doses instead of two.
Can I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I was recently exposed to the virus?
If you don’t have symptoms and have not tested positive for COVID-19 recently, you can get vaccinated, but it takes about two weeks for the immune system to mount a full response.
If I miss the timeframe for the second dose of the shingles vaccine, is it too late to get it?
Shingrix is an immunization that is recommended for people aged 50 and older (or adults under 50 who are immunocompromised) to prevent shingles. According to Dr. Escobedo, “Two doses are needed and the second dose should be given two to six months after the first. If it has been longer than that since your first dose, get the second dose as soon as possible.” According to the CDC, you should not need to restart the vaccine series.
