It’s that time of year again. When fevers, coughing, and never ending nose-blowing begin to disrupt our lives and send us into a pile of tissues and NyQuil. As this time comes, so does the constant reminder that there is hope at the end of the tunnel: the flu shot. All of our doctors encourage it, yet there are always rumors about this miraculous shot that leave us wondering whether it’s a good decision to get it. For example, I’ve personally heard that the flu shot can actually end up giving you the flu or that it doesn’t always work. Hopefully, this article will put those worries to rest so you can make the best decision to stay healthy this year. And if college isn’t the place to get sick, don’t forget about the Christmas holidays coming up and all the hugs and kisses that come with them!
Pros
1. It won’t actually give you the flu. The vaccine is made with a dead form of the virus in the shot form and the nasal spray has a weakened form. The side effects to these have flu-like symptoms, but they go away in few days.
2. This year’s vaccine protects against H1N1 (Swine Flu). Remember that epidemic that was going around awhile back? Well, now there is a vaccine available to everyone for it.
3. The flu shot can help protect against other illness too. The vaccine can help prevent things like pneumonia and can also build up the immune systems of people who have chronic health conditions.
4.The vaccine caused a 71 percent drop in flu-related hospitalizations. Those are pretty good odds you won’t have a bunch of hospital bills to pay off. This study includes adults of all ages.
Cons
1. It takes two weeks for the vaccine to develop in your body. That’s two weeks of touching door handles and standing in the path of someone’s sneezing to get through before it becomes fully effective.
2. The vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective. Though the vaccine does offer pretty good odds of not developing the illness, there is still a 40 percent chance that you can get sick.
3. The vaccine only covers a particular strain of flu. Doctors decide which strain of flu is going to be popular this season and that’s what makes up the vaccine. And if they’re wrong, which they have been before, you could still get sick.
4. If you’re allergic to eggs, then you might be out of luck. Most forms of the vaccine contain egg proteins, though the amounts are low enough that it shouldn’t cause complications in most people. However, extra precautions are recommended and there are eggless options available as well. Definitely ask your doctor.
5. Sometimes the side effects can be just as bad as the actual flu. Soreness, swelling, fever and a runny nose are just some of the effects that can take place within the first few days after getting the vaccine. Isn’t that what we want to avoid?
There are good and bad sides to getting the flu shot. If you decide to get the vaccine, be sure to get it as soon as you can and while you are healthy. The side effects can be lessened with a little Tylenol (but talk to your doctor just in case) and ask your doctor about any of your concerns with the shot (if this doesn’t answer them). There are also great resources all over the internet to learn more about the vaccine like mayoclinic.org, flu.gov, and webmd.com. Happy holidays and stay healthy!