Flu season is upon us, and you may be deciding if and when to get a flu shot. Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, but you may still have questions.
Separate fact from fiction with this information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
True or False: If I already had the flu, I’m protected against it for the rest of the year.
False. You may develop immunity against the flu strain that infected you, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be immune to other flu strains that are circulating that year. Influenza viruses come in many different forms and are constantly changing, meaning that you can be infected with multiple strains per year.
True or False: Flu shots make you sick.
False. A small number of people experience short-term side effects like stuffy nose, low-grade fever, aches or fatigue, but it may be your body simply building antibodies to fight the flu.
True or False: Drug companies can’t predict if a vaccine will work for everyone.
False. Researchers track flu viruses around the globe year-round to determine the most effective combination of each vaccine for each coming flu season. Twice a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reviews the results of this monitoring alongside clinical and laboratory studies to ultimately determine the kind of vaccine to distribute.
True or False: The flu can be deadly.
True. Influenza can be a serious disease, particularly among the very young and the old. It can also impact people with chronic conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes. It can lead to serious complications or death as the body fights the attack on the respiratory system, even among otherwise healthy children and adults.
True or False: There is only one type of flu shot.
False. Some vaccines are intended to target a specific age range or groups with certain health risks. Vaccines can be:
- Trivalent: Protecting against three viruses.
- Quadrivalent: Protecting against four viruses.
There is also a smaller needle vaccine available that enters only the skin rather than the muscle. Your doctor will select which vaccine is right for you depending on your age, your health concerns, if you are allergic to eggs and if you are pregnant.