FAQ: Flu

Yes, but flu clinics on campus and at Lincoln Laboratory will be only for ages 18+ and BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. There will be no walk-in appointments available, and all appointments must be made 48 hours in advance. High-dose vaccines will be available for individuals aged 65 and older. 

Campus: The MIT Health campus flu clinics have concluded. If you still need a flu vaccine, we suggest you get your flu immunization at a retail pharmacy, like CVS or Walgreens, at a flu clinic in your community, or from your primary care provider at MIT Health as part of an existing appointment. All MIT-sponsored insurance plans allow you to get your flu vaccine anywhere Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is accepted.  

Lincoln Laboratory: Flu vaccine will be available to Lincoln Laboratory personnel Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., October 20–23, in AC-120 and AC-122, near the cafeteria.

Yes. You must make an appointment 48 hours in advance. There are no walk-in appointments. No exceptions.  

Making an appointment for the flu clinic is a two-step process. You will need to select a date and time for your immunization first. Then, three days before your immunization time slot, you will need to provide us with your health insurance information or verify what we have on file, if you are a current MIT Health patient. 

All patients MUST provide current health insurance information to receive their vaccination, and the fees associated with your immunization will be billed to your insurance. There will be no exceptions. 

Note: Flu vaccines are fully covered for students on MIT SHIP and for individuals who are on MIT-sponsored insurance plans.

Step 1: Go online and select the date and time you would like your immunization. You must make your appointment 48 hours in advance.  There will be no walk-in appointments this year.

You must provide your insurance information (or confirm the information we have on file) at least 48 hours before your appointment. If we do not have your insurance information 48 hours before your appointment, your appointment will be canceled, and you will need to book a new appointment to get your vaccination.

Finally, you must complete the entire registration process, which includes filling out consent forms. We cannot process your flu immunization appointment unless you fill out all the forms and answer every question.  

Go online and use the MIT Health Digital Navigator to cancel or make changes to your appointment.  

Yes, but only for the campus clinics in E23 and only if they are eligible. Children younger than 18 can only receive their vaccinations in MIT Health’s Primary Care service, or at a local pharmacy, and are not eligible to attend the clinic. Individuals between 18 and 19 years of age can come to clinic, but we will give those individuals a vaccine provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Mass. DPH). Mass. DPH covers vaccines for individuals younger than 19. 

It depends on your insurance coverage. Your immunization will be billed to your health insurance. If you are on the MIT Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or the MIT Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO+ Plan (for employees), you will not have to pay anything extra for the immunization. If you have a different insurance plan, you should check with your insurance company to find out if you will have an out-of-pocket cost for the vaccine.   

Flu immunizations are available by appointment only to MIT affiliates, including: 

Also eligible are:

Flu immunizations are available by appointment only to current, badge-holding Lincoln Laboratory personnel, regardless of where they get their healthcare. Family members who are MIT Health patients can make immunization appointments at MIT Health’s Lexington Care Center or at the campus clinic, or they can get their flu vaccines at a retail pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. With an MIT-sponsored insurance plan, you can get your flu vaccine anywhere Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is accepted. Note: Lincoln Laboratory appointments are currently fully booked. Check back at a later date for additional availability.  

If you need physical documentation of your immunization, ask a staff member at the clinic for a paper receipt. Or, if you’re an MIT Health patient, you can get documentation of your vaccination through our patient portal, HealthELife. You can also visit the state vaccine record database for information. Note: It can take up to several weeks for the information to be posted. 

MIT Health does not provide vaccine-exemption forms. If a particular organization is requiring that you get a flu immunization, ask that organization how to proceed with your vaccine exemption. MIT very strongly encourages all employees and students to get flu immunizations, but it is not required unless your specific employment role requires it.  

There will be no egg-free vaccines available at the MIT Health clinics. If you are an MIT Health patient and believe you need an egg-free vaccine, you can make an appointment with your primary care provider or a local pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. Only a very limited number of egg-free vaccines are available at MIT Health, and they will be reserved for individuals with severe, documented egg allergies.   

No. MIT Health does not offer nasal-spray vaccines.   

Yes. It is still advised that everyone who can get a flu immunization does so. Flu is always a dangerous disease, but it can be even more deadly when combined with the risks associated with COVID-19. And having a highly vaccinated population at MIT also protects individuals in our community who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.  

Adults will need just one vaccination. Children aged six months to nine years who are getting a flu vaccination for the first time will need two doses, spaced at least a month apart. Children are not eligible to attend the MIT flu clinics. 

No. The vaccine contains inactivated (dead) virus, which cannot cause an infection. However, the vaccine takes about two weeks to become fully effective, so it is always possible you could contract the flu during that time period. However, the vaccine itself cannot cause influenza.   

Yes. Pregnant and breastfeeding individuals can receive the flu vaccine. Ask your personal clinician if you have concerns or questions.  

The 2025–26 flu vaccine offered at MIT is trivalent, protecting against two strains of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and one strain of influenza B. The vaccines used at the MIT Health flu clinic do not contain thimerosal or any preservatives. High-dose vaccines are available for individuals aged 65 and older. 

No, this year’s vaccine was formulated to match the viruses that are expected to be active this year. Last year’s vaccine was also trivalent. This change happened because the B/Yamagata viruses, which were included in previous four-component (quadrivalent) flu vaccines, are no longer actively circulating and no longer need to be included in flu vaccines. Learn more. 

The flu and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, so it is hard to know which illness you may have contracted. In fact, most sources refer to COVID-19 symptoms as “flu-like symptoms.” To be sure, use an over-the-counter rapid COVID-19 test, or call your primary care provider for advice.  

To prevent the spread of illness, disinfect commonly touched hard surfaces in the workplace by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label. This includes countertops, doorknobs, telephones, copy machines, workstations, and bathroom surfaces. Studies have shown that flu viruses do not remain infectious on environmental surfaces for more than eight hours. Frequent hand washing is the best way to avoid infection from contaminated surfaces.