It’s October and the peak of flu season is just around the corner. So of course that means it’s time to get your flu shot. I know getting a shot isn’t fun, but getting the flu shot is especially important this year with COVID-19 around. While the flu shot will not protect you from COVID-19, it is still important to help take the pressure off our healthcare system as we don’t know when COVID-19 could peak again. This year, we will most likely have COVID-19 and the flu spreading at the same time and this could cause our health systems to get overwhelmed very quickly.
There are a lot of myths around getting the flu shot but it is safe, and it will not give you the flu. This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the flu vaccine and is completely false. The flu shot is made from an inactivated virus so it cannot infect you. Some people who get sick after getting the flu shot claim that it was from the flu shot but they were going to get sick anyways; the flu shot takes about fourteen days to protect you and you were not sick from your flu shot. However, after getting the flu shot your arm may be sore, but this is normal. In a randomized, blinded study, two groups were either given the flu shot or salt-water shots. The only difference in symptoms between the groups was that the flu shot group experienced slightly more soreness, something that was already expected. The truth is that the flu shot has not been documented to cause any serious or irreversible harm.
Another big misconception about the flu is that it is ineffective because scientists have to predict which strains will be most prevalent that specific year. While it is true that the effectiveness of the flu shot can vary from year to year because of this, on average the flu shot will reduce your chances of getting sick with the flu by 60%. While this isn’t a perfect number, it is well worth getting the flu shot. It decreases your chances of getting the flu by over 50%. I think anything that will help protect you and your family is worth the time, especially with having COVID-19 lurking around this year. We should all be doing everything we can to protect ourselves and others.
You can get the flu shot from your doctor’s office, health department, flu shot clinics, or the pharmacy. The flu shot is free with insurance so make sure to bring your health insurance information with you. If you do not have health insurance and are at risk for the flu, some health departments give the flu shot for free or at a discounted price. For the specifics of your local health department, you can give them a call.
Now, even though you have gotten the flu shot you can still get the flu, but this is why getting the vaccine is so important. The flu shot will lessen the severity of your symptoms and help you get over the flu easier and quicker. This is why the flu shot saves lives. They can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from the flu and the risk of the elderly from dying from the flu. When something so small can help save lives, I think that it is something that everyone should get. Even if you are at very low risk of being infected with the flu, you can carry the flu virus with no symptoms and spread this virus to others; that is why it is so important for everyone to get the flu shot.
Even with all of the science telling people that the flu vaccine is safe, only a third of adults get vaccinated. But why? Some adults think it’s because something terrible will happen to them, an irrational fear used as a selfish reason not to protect others. Or they think they are simply healthy enough to not get the flu but that doesn’t mean they can’t carry it and give it to someone else. But this is not the year to use your essential oils or warm comfort food to ward off diseases. This is the year for you to read some credible articles and finally get enough courage to get the flu shot for yourself and your family. Please, don’t be selfish, get your flu shot.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/10-flu-myths