For most people, the best time to get a flu shot is September or October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is not too late after that: CDC advises vaccination to continue for as long as flu viruses are circulating. In Mount Juliet, Faith & Healing Pharmacy gives walk-in flu shots at 151 Adams Lane, Suite 18, with no appointment or prescription needed. This guide covers timing, public health guidance, the visit and common side effects.
Flu season in the United States runs through the fall and winter. CDC reports that flu activity most often peaks between December and February and can continue as late as May. Because the timing shifts from year to year, public health guidance focuses on being protected before activity climbs.
For the 2026–27 season, CDC’s interim guidance says most people who need one dose should ideally be vaccinated in September or October. Earlier is generally better for a simple reason: it takes about two weeks after a flu shot for the body to build protective antibodies, so a shot in October is working well before the usual winter peak.
Too early has a downside, though. CDC advises most adults, particularly those 65 and older, to avoid July and August unless a later visit might not be possible, because protection can fade over a long season. CDC’s exceptions include children aged 6 months to 8 years who need two doses at least four weeks apart, who should start as soon as vaccine is available, and people in the third trimester of pregnancy during those months.
Missing the September and October window is not a reason to skip the season. CDC says vaccination should continue throughout flu season while viruses are circulating, so a shot in November, December or later still counts. Each season’s vaccine is updated to match the viruses expected to circulate, and one shot covers one season.
CDC recommends a flu vaccine every season for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions. For the 2026–27 season, CDC has stated that the flu recommendations in its July 2025 immunization schedule remain in effect.
Public health guidance puts particular emphasis on people at higher risk of serious flu complications. CDC’s list of higher-risk groups includes:
CDC also stresses vaccination for people who live with or care for someone in those groups, including healthcare workers and the households of babies under 6 months, who are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
For adults 65 and older, CDC preferentially recommends a high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine, and any age-appropriate flu vaccine if none of those is available. According to CDC, people with an egg allergy can receive any flu vaccine that suits their age and health.
The main exceptions in CDC guidance are babies under 6 months and anyone who has had a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to a flu vaccine or one of its ingredients. How this guidance applies to a particular person is a question for their doctor or pharmacist.
The injection itself takes a few seconds. Most of a flu shot visit is a short check beforehand and a brief wait afterward. CDC’s general best practices for immunization advise vaccine providers to consider having people stay seated for 15 minutes after a shot, because about 80% of fainting episodes after vaccination happen within that window.
Expect a few screening questions before the shot. They cover how you feel today, any serious reaction to a past vaccine, severe allergies, and any history of Guillain-Barré syndrome, all of which appear in CDC’s list of precautions. CDC lists a moderate or severe illness, with or without fever, as a reason to consider waiting; a mild illness alone is not on that list.
What to bring. Your insurance card, a photo ID and, if you have one, your immunization record, so it can be updated and checked for anything else that is due. If you take medicines that affect your immune system, bring a list of them.
What to wear. For adults and older children, the shot goes into the deltoid muscle of the upper arm, so short sleeves or a loose top that rolls up easily make it quicker. Many people choose their non-dominant arm, since it is the one more likely to feel sore for a day or two.
After the shot. Stay seated for the short wait, and tell the person who vaccinated you straight away if you feel dizzy or unwell. After that, most people go back to their normal day.
A flu shot cannot give you the flu. According to CDC, flu shots contain either inactivated virus that is no longer infectious or a particle designed to look like a flu virus to the immune system.
Side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days. CDC lists the common ones as soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, headache, fever, nausea and muscle aches. Like any injection, a flu shot can occasionally cause fainting.
Serious reactions are rare. CDC notes that some studies found a possible small link between injectable flu vaccines and Guillain-Barré syndrome, estimated at fewer than one or two cases per million people vaccinated, while other studies found none. Severe allergic reactions are also rare and usually appear within minutes to a few hours. Warning signs include difficulty breathing, wheezing, swelling around the eyes or lips, hives, a fast heartbeat or dizziness, and CDC advises calling 911 in an emergency.
For a reaction that is not an emergency, CDC advises calling your doctor. Anyone can report a possible side effect to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which CDC and the FDA use to monitor vaccine safety after vaccines are approved.
Faith & Healing Pharmacy is a locally owned, independent pharmacy at 151 Adams Lane, Suite 18, Mount Juliet, TN 37122. We give flu shots on a walk-in basis, with no appointment or prescription needed. Tennessee pharmacists can give flu shots to children from age 3, so we vaccinate adults and children 3 and older; for children under 3, see your pediatrician.
Most visits take 20 to 25 minutes, most of it the short wait afterward. A pharmacist gives your shot and answers your questions before and after. We check your insurance coverage and tell you what you will owe, if anything, before we vaccinate, and we update your record for school, work or travel paperwork.
We are open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM to 1 PM, and closed on Sunday. Saturday is our busiest short day, so a quick call to 615-583-7575 first is worthwhile. Employers and groups can also arrange a group flu clinic.
For every vaccine we offer, insurance details and group clinics, see vaccines and immunizations in Mount Juliet.
No. CDC says vaccination should continue throughout flu season while flu viruses are circulating. Because activity often peaks between December and February, a later shot can still protect you during the busiest months.
Yes, according to CDC. People 6 months and older with an egg allergy can receive any flu vaccine that suits their age and health, with no extra precautions.
Often, yes. CDC lists a moderate or severe illness, with or without fever, as a reason to consider waiting; a mild illness alone is not on that list.
Yes. CDC recommends one every flu season, because vaccines are updated to match the viruses expected to circulate. For 2026–27, all three virus components were updated.
Yes. Protection takes about two weeks to develop, the vaccine may not match every circulating flu virus, and it does not protect against colds or other non-flu viruses.
Some children aged 6 months through 8 years need two doses, at least four weeks apart. CDC bases the number on age and how many flu doses they have had before.
This guide shares general public health information and is not medical advice for any individual. For guidance on your own situation, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Sources: CDC interim clinical considerations for seasonal flu vaccines, 2026–27 (September 1, 2026); CDC flu vaccine safety; CDC preventing seasonal flu. Guidance checked October 26, 2026.
