Does Getting a Flu Shot Lessen Your Chance of Catching COVID?

After months of seemingly endless bad news on the COVID-19 front, there have been a few glimmers of hope recently.

First, it was not one, but two promising potential vaccines, and now a new study says there may be a correlation between getting a flu shot and a lower risk of catching coronavirus.

Scientific American is reporting on the results of a new study coming out of the Netherlands that suggests that those who get their annual influenza injection may be better equipped to fight off catching COVID-19.

Radboud University Medical Center infectious disease immunologist Mihai Netea and his team examined their hospital’s databases and found that workers who received a flu vaccine were nearly 40 percent less likely to test positive for the coronavirus.

It's known as 'trained innate immunity', and it's been shown in the past to potentially train the body’s immune system to use one vaccine to fight off many kinds of other infections.

While the study is far from definitive and has yet to be peer-reviewed, Scientific American says it is in line with some other recent studies published in peer-reviewed journals that point to similar effects.

Remember, whether it lessens your COVID-19 risk or not, getting a flu shot is almost never a bad idea, especially as head into the depths of winter.