Yup! It’s that time again – flu shot time. So many people fail to protect themselves and their loved ones from what could be a serious illness. The elderly are especially high risk for serious flu infections, as are young children. Between 1976 and 2006 influenza and complications from influenza caused from 3,000 to 49,000 deaths each year here in the United States.
Let’s look at some of the reasons people choose not to get the flu vaccine:
Myth: The vaccine causes the flu
Truth: The flu vaccine is made from dead viruses – all dead viruses. A dead virus cannot cause the flu.
Myth: The vaccine is very painful and makes my arm sore
Truth: That used to be the case years ago, but now smaller needles are used so the vaccine is injected into the skin and no the muscle. There is very little pain these days during and after the flu shot.
Myth: I know people who took the flu shot and they got the flu anyway, so the shot doesn’t work.
Truth: Even if you do get influenza after taking a flu shot it will be a much milder case than if you did not take the shot. The flu shot is composed of 2 or 3 strains of dead viruses that scientists believe will be causing the flu in our area. Most of the time, and for most people, the shot will be effective 60% of the time, which is certainly better than nothing. Also, it takes 2-3 weeks after getting the shot for your body to build up immunity to the flu. If you have already caught the flu your symptoms will not appear for about a week. Taking a flu shot during this week will not prevent the flu; you must have the time to build up antibodies.
Myth: I can prevent the flu if I just don’t go out when it’s cold and wet and if I don’t get a chill.
Truth: The cold and wet does not cause the flu; the virus does. The only way you can catch the flu is to come in contact with the virus.
Most people recover from the flu without complications, but as we said above, it can be serious and even deadly to people who are high risk. If you care for someone who is high risk, you’re getting the flu shot will decrease the chance that you will spread the flu to the person or people you care for and about.