Flu vaccine is safe to administer along with Covid jabs: Study

Flu vaccines are safe to be administered at the same time as Pfizer or AstraZeneca Covid vaccines and it does not negatively impact the immune response produced by either, a British study found on Thursday.

Researchers agree after the first clinical trial that co-administering the shots in a single appointment does no harm.

However, scientists found that one of the flu vaccines 'FluBlok' by Sanofi seems to be more potent when paired with the Pfizer vaccine, reported The Guardian.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in the UK had advised pairing the Covid-19 vaccine with the Influenza vaccine this autumn and winter because it is practical. The findings of the new study back this suggestion.

Lead scientist, Dr. Rajeka Lazarus said that the preliminary results are a "really positive step". She added that it is common to receive more than one vaccine at once. It is often carried out in the cases of young children and people setting out to travel abroad. However, the team does not expect that the booster doses would impact how well the Covid vaccine works.

Some of the participants were reported to have experienced various side effects. But the severity of them was mild to moderate. The most common side effects reported by the volunteers were pain at the injection site, muscle pain, headache, and temporary fatigue.

About three-quarters of the volunteers reported at least one side effect regardless of whether they had the Covid vaccine shot alone or in combination with the flu shot. 97% of the volunteers said that they are willing to have two vaccines at the same appointment in the future.

The study will be published in the Lancet magazine.