Get your flu shot
The 2019–20 flu vaccine offered at MIT is quadrivalent, protecting against two strains of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and two strains of influenza B.
Active flu strains are different each year, so even if you got a flu shot last year, you still need to get this year's vaccine. More information about this year's vaccine available from the CDC.
Flu clinics: Cambridge Campus
Our Cambridge Campus walk-in flu clinics have concluded for this year, but flu vaccine is still available for MIT Medical patients. If you are an MIT student, or if you get your care at MIT Medical, contact your Primary Care Provider (PCP) directly. If you don’t have a PCP, dial 617-258-WELL (9355) to schedule an appointment. The next community-wide MIT flu clinic will be scheduled for early autumn 2020.
Pregnant patients
Pregnant patients may get a shot by calling their primary care provider to make an appointment. The vaccine given to pregnant patients is the exact same vaccine they receive at a walk-in clinic.
Pediatric patients (and their parents)
Pediatric patients older than six months can receive shots by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Call our Pediatric Service at 617-253-1505 to make an appointment.
Please note: If this is the first time a child between the ages of 6 months and 8 years is receiving a flu vaccine, they will need two doses, one month apart.
Patients 65 and older
For patients 65 and older, MIT Medical recommends the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, which is trivalent, protecting against two strains of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and one strain of influenza B with four times as much antigen as in the standard flu vaccine. The high-dose vaccine is available only to patients ages 65 and older.
Other places to get a flu vaccination
If you are ineligible to get a flu shot at MIT, you may be able to get one at:
- A retail pharmacy (you may be charged a fee)
- Your own healthcare provider
- A clinic in your hometown
- Your local department of public health.
Pneumococcus vaccine
Since one of the most severe complications of influenza is the increased risk of developing bacterial pneumonia, pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax) is recommended for:
- Adults aged 65 or older
- Smokers of any age
- People with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and several others.
Another pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar-13, is also recommended for persons over 65 and persons with certain immune system problems.
For more information, see “Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know” To receive the pneumococcal vaccine, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.
