Flu Shot in Vasant Kunj: Who Needs One, When to Get It, and What It Costs

Every year around this time the front desk gets the same three questions. Is it worth getting a flu shot? Is it too late? And how much is it?

Here are the short answers. For most healthy adults the flu shot gives modest protection, and for some people — older adults, pregnant women, young children and anyone with a long-term illness — it matters a great deal more. It is not too late: Delhi gets a second rise in flu cases from January to March, and a shot now covers it. At the clinic it costs ₹2,100, vaccine included.

The rest of this page explains what the shot does and does not do, who should have it, and when you should see a doctor or go to a hospital instead.

What flu actually is

Influenza is a virus infection of the nose, throat and lungs. It spreads through coughs, sneezes and hands, and it moves fast in crowded places — offices, schools, the metro, a family home with one person ill.

People often call any bad cold "flu", but they are different illnesses. A cold builds up over a day or two and is mostly a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat. Flu tends to arrive suddenly and knock you flat.

Symptoms, in the words people actually use

People with flu usually say things like:

- "The fever came out of nowhere"

- "My whole body aches, even my eyes hurt"

- "I can't get out of bed"

- "A dry cough that won't stop"

- "Headache and shivering"

- "It's not a cold — I've never felt this weak with a cold"

Symptoms usually start one to four days after catching it. Most people get better within about a week without needing treatment, though the cough and tiredness can hang on for two weeks or more.

In Delhi it is worth remembering that fever at this time of year has other causes, dengue among them. A fever that does not settle in two or three days, or comes with severe body pain, rash or bleeding gums, needs a doctor and usually a blood test rather than a guess. Our page on fever and dengue covers that.

Why Delhi has two flu seasons

In much of the world flu is a winter illness. North India is less tidy. Surveillance in Delhi has found flu peaking around the monsoon, from July to September, and the Delhi government's own advisories describe a second rise from January to March.

That has two practical consequences:

- October is not too late. A shot now protects you through the January–March rise.

- The ideal time in Delhi is earlier than most people think. Researchers who studied Delhi's pattern suggested vaccinating in May or June, ahead of the monsoon peak. If you have always had yours in October, that still works — the point is to have one every year.

Protection takes about two weeks to build after the injection, so having it a few weeks before a wedding, a trip or a newborn's arrival makes more sense than the week before.

Who should have a flu shot

The WHO and the Indian Council of Medical Research both single out the people most likely to become seriously ill. If you are in one of these groups, a yearly flu shot is worth having:

- Adults over 65

- Pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy. It protects the mother and, through her, the baby for the first few months after birth, before the baby is old enough to be vaccinated

- Children aged 6 months to 5 years

- Anyone with a long-term illness — diabetes, asthma or COPD, heart disease, kidney or liver disease

- Anyone whose immunity is low, from illness or from medicines that suppress it

- Health workers, and people who look after someone in any of the groups above

If you are a healthy adult under 65, the shot is still worth considering, especially if you live with an elderly parent, a baby, or someone with a long-term illness. You are then also protecting them.

What the flu shot does and does not do

It is better to know this before you pay for it.

It lowers your chance of catching flu. It does not remove it. In healthy adults, a Cochrane review of the randomised trials found that vaccination cut the chance of flu, proven by a lab test, in a season from about 2.3% to about 0.9%. That is a real reduction, but it also means many healthy adults would not have caught flu that year anyway. The benefit is larger for people who are more likely to get flu and more likely to become seriously ill with it.

How well it works varies from year to year, depending on how closely the vaccine matches the strains that circulate. That is also why it is a yearly shot: the strains change, and protection fades.

It cannot give you flu. The injected vaccine contains no live virus.

It does not protect against colds, COVID-19, dengue, or the cough that Delhi's air brings in winter. If you get a cough in December after a flu shot, the shot has not failed — it was never aimed at that.

Side effects are usually small. A sore arm, a slight temperature, or aching for a day or two. Serious allergic reactions are very rare.

Who should not have it, or should wait

- Babies under 6 months. The vaccine is not given this young. The way to protect them is to vaccinate the mother in pregnancy and the people around the baby.

- Anyone who had a severe allergic reaction to a previous flu shot. Tell us before anything is given.

- If you have a high fever today, wait until you are better. A mild cold is not usually a reason to delay.

Egg allergy used to be a reason to avoid the flu shot. Current guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control says people with egg allergy can have any flu vaccine. Tell us about it anyway, and about any other allergies.

Children under 9 having a flu shot for the first time usually need two doses, at least four weeks apart. After that, one dose a year is enough.

Go to a hospital emergency department instead if…

Most flu is miserable but manageable at home. These signs are not, and need a hospital the same day:

- difficulty breathing, breathlessness at rest, or fast breathing

- chest pain or pressure that does not go away

- bluish lips or face

- confusion, or being very hard to wake

- a seizure

- not passing urine

- in a child: ribs pulling in with each breath, no urine for eight hours, no tears when crying, or not alert when awake

- in a baby under 3 months: any fever

- a fever or cough that was getting better and then comes back worse

If any of these is happening, do not wait to see us. Go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

See a doctor within a day or two if you are in one of the higher-risk groups above and develop flu symptoms. There is antiviral treatment for flu, and it does most good when it is started early, ideally within the first two days. Whether you need it is a doctor's decision.

What we will not do

We will not give a first-ever flu shot at home. A first dose of any vaccine is the one time a serious reaction is a real possibility, so it is given at the clinic. After that, a yearly repeat can come to you.

We do not give childhood vaccinations at home, including a child's flu shot. Children are vaccinated at the clinic.

We do not sell "immunity" drips, boosters or tonics, and we will not recommend them as a substitute for the flu shot or anything else.

And we will not tell you the flu shot will stop every cough and cold this winter. It will not.

What it costs

| | Price |

|---|---|

| Flu shot at the clinic | ₹2,100 — vaccine included |

| Flu shot at home (a repeat yearly dose only) | ₹2,200 — vaccine included |

| General physician consultation, if you also want to see a doctor | from ₹800 |

| Paediatrician consultation — Dr. Mannat Verma | ₹1,200 |

The vaccine is included in both flu shot prices. Coming to your home adds ₹100. Home vaccination is available 6 am to midnight, seven days a week, including Sunday.

If your child needs two doses because it is their first flu shot, ask us for the total when you call.

Frequently asked questions

Is it too late to get a flu shot in October or November?

No. Delhi has a second rise in flu from January to March, and protection builds within about two weeks. Getting it now covers that.

I had a flu shot last year. Do I need another?

Yes. The strains in the vaccine are updated each year and protection fades over the months, so it is a yearly shot.

Can I have it while I am pregnant?

Yes, at any stage of pregnancy. It protects you and, for the first few months, your baby. If you are seeing a gynaecologist, mention it at your next visit.

Can the flu shot give me flu?

No. The injection contains no live virus. A sore arm or a mild temperature for a day or two is the vaccine working, not flu.

My child has never had a flu shot. How many doses do they need?

Children aged 6 months to 8 years having it for the first time usually need two doses at least four weeks apart. From then on, one a year. Children are vaccinated at the clinic, not at home.

Can a nurse come home to give it?

Yes, for a repeat yearly dose in an adult who has had a flu shot before. It costs ₹2,200, vaccine included, and is available 6 am to midnight, seven days a week. A first-ever flu shot is given at the clinic.

Book an appointment

All Is Well Medical Centre

Shop no. 1, Central Market, Sector B Rd, opposite Vasant Square Mall, Masoodpur, Sector B, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

Phone: 8800844793

WhatsApp: https://wa.me/918800844793

Clinic open Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Closed Sunday.

Home nursing, including repeat flu shots, 6 am to midnight, seven days a week including Sunday.

Call and we will give you a time.

---

Medically reviewed by Dr. Pratik Banerjee, MBBS, PGCC, Paed (IMA), family general physician.

This article is general information and is not a substitute for a consultation. If you are unwell, please see a doctor.

Contact

Call 8800844793. Home nursing 6 am to midnight

Phone

8800844793

© 2026. All rights reserved.

Shop no. 1, Central Market, Sector B Rd, opposite Vasant Square Mall, Masoodpur, Sector B, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

ADDRESS

All is well medical centre

8 AM - 9 PM

Mon-SAT

Multi Specialty Clinic in Vasant Kunj