Surprisingly, the first flu vaccine was approved way back in 1945, for use in the military.
It became available for civilian use the next year.
Influenza Vaccines
A lot has changed since then, including that flu shots recommendations now include all children who are at least six months old and all adults.

And there is a much bigger variety of flu vaccines, at least for adults.
Today, there are at least six different types of flu shots for people to choose from. High dose. Standard dose. Trivalent. Quadrivalent. Cell-culture based. Recombinant. Adjuvanted.
Plus we have the nasal spray flu vaccine.
Which flu vaccine do you want?
You won’t have problems getting one…
Between 152 to 169 million doses of flu vaccine will be available this year, including 120 million doses of thimerosal-free or preservative-free flu shots, so the great majority of flu shots will not contain mercury!
More Information On Flu Vaccines:
- Can I Get a Second Flu Shot for Extra Protection?
- How Many Doses of Flu Vaccines Do My Kids Need?
- What Are the Side Effects of the Flu Vaccine?
- How Long Does It Take for the Flu Vaccine to Start Working
- When Should I Get My Flu Shot?
- Why Do You Need to Get a Flu Vaccine Each Year?
- Do They Really Just Guess at Which Strain to Put in the Flu Vaccine?
- I’m Not Anti-Vaccine, I Just Don’t Believe in Flu Shots
- Ask the Experts about Flu Vaccines
- CDC – Flu Shots VIS
- CDC – Flumist VIS
- Influenza ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
- Pinkbook – Influenza
- FDA – Fluzone (package insert)
- FDA – Fluarix (package insert)
- FDA – FluLaval (package insert)
- FDA – Afluria (package insert)
- FDA – Flucelvax (package insert)
- FDA – FluMist (package insert)
- Influenza vaccines — United States, 2018–19 influenza season
- A Look at Each Vaccine : Influenza
- History of the Influenza Vaccines
- WHO recommendations on the composition of influenza virus vaccines
- Separating Fact from Fiction about the Flu Vaccine
- Flu shots are safe for pregnant women