NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Last year, COVID-19 hit one of its peaks right after Thanksgiving. Health officials want to prevent that from happening again this year.  

Health officials are urging you to keep the public and your loved ones safe by having both your flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine before attending holiday gatherings.  

It takes about two weeks until the flu shot and your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are effective. That means if you hurry, you still have time to get that protected. 

If you haven’t had any COVID-19 vaccine doses, you’ll need to get the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be protected by Thanksgiving.  

To be protected by Thanksgiving, you’ll need to get your flu shot and final COVID-19 shot dose by Thursday, November 11. 

To be protected by Christmas Day, you need to get your flu shot and final dose by December 11.  

Health officials say despite our focus on COVID-19 right now, not to forget about just how important your flu shot is.   

“Typically, I do see cases go up after the holidays, sometimes even after Thanksgiving. But people who come in with the flu typically have a high fever. It is not unusual for me to hear them say I feel like I have been hit by a truck. My bones hurt, my skin hurts, my eyeballs hurt, my hair hurts. So it is just very debilitating for at least a week,” Tennessee Nurses Association past president Carla Kirkland said.    

According to the Tennessee Nurses Association, it’s okay to get your flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine in the same visit.