FAQ: Flu

Yes. MIT Health is partnering with CVS Health to provide flu and COVID-19 immunizations for the MIT community on campus and at Lincoln Laboratory. Visit the MIT Health page to view locations and times, then click schedule online. From there, you will use the CVS Health scheduling page to make your appointment. You will need your health insurance card to schedule your appointment.

Same-day appointments may be available on a case-by-case basis, but you will need to schedule through the CVS system. To check for same-day appointment availability, scan the QR code at the vaccination clinic entrance. Vaccines are available for patients ages 5 and older, and high-dose flu vaccines will be available for individuals aged 65 and older. A limited number of doses of Flucelvax®, an egg-free flu vaccine, will be available. 

All members of the MIT Community aged 5 and older and their immediate families are eligible to attend the clinics. This includes:

All members of the MIT community and their immediate families (ages 5 and up) are eligible to get their vaccines at the Lincoln Laboratory clinics.

Yes. The CVS/MIT Health vaccine clinics are available for all members of the MIT community ages 5 and older and their immediate families. Children younger than age 5 must receive their vaccines through MIT Health’s Primary Care Service or with their personal pediatrician. They are not eligible to attend the clinics.  

No. You should will need to bring your insurance card so that your coverage can be verified.

Payment or proof of insurance coverage must be collected prior to vaccine administration. If you cannot provide your insurance information when you register, you can pay with cash (exact change only) or check, or you can add a credit/debit card to your CVS account, which will be processed through the CVS on-site system. 

If CVS cannot collect payment or proof of insurance at the clinic, you will not be able to get a vaccine.

It depends on your insurance coverage. CVS Health will bill your immunization(s) 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(s). 
• If you have a different insurance plan, check with your insurance company to see whether you will have an out-of-pocket cost for the vaccine.    

The 2026–27 flu vaccine offered at MIT is trivalent, protecting against two strains of influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and one strain of influenza B. The vaccine does not contain thimerosal or any preservatives. High-dose vaccines are available for individuals aged 65 and older, and a limited number of doses of Flucelvax®, an egg-free flu vaccine, will be available at each clinic for patients.

Moderna vaccines will be available at the vaccine clinics while supplies last. In some cases, Pfizer vaccines may be administered as a substitute. 

Yes. If you need an egg-free vaccine, a limited number of doses of Flucelvax®, an egg-free flu vaccine, will be available at each clinic. Be sure to mention your egg allergy on the CVS registration page. 

No. Nasal-spray vaccines are not available at the clinics.

Documentation of your immunization will be available through the CVS Health portal account that you created or accessed when you registered for your appointment. You can also visit the state vaccine record database to access your vaccine record. 

Note: It can take up to several weeks for the information to be posted to the state database. 

MIT Health does not provide vaccine exemption forms. If your employer or another organization requires you to get a flu/COVID-19 immunization, you will need to ask them about how to get an exemption.

MIT very strongly encourages all employees and students to get flu and COVID-19 immunizations, but they are not mandated unless your specific employment role requires it.

All changes and cancellations must be made through the CVS Health appointment system. MIT Health patient service representatives cannot help with scheduling issues. If you have questions or concerns, email VaccineClinics@CVSHealth.com.

Yes. We recommend 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. Having a highly vaccinated population at MIT also protects individuals in our community who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.  

Adults need just one vaccination. Children aged 6 months to 9 years who are getting a flu vaccination for the first time will need two doses, spaced at least a month apart. Children under age 5 are not eligible to attend the CVS/MIT Health 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.  

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, kitchen, 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.