What’s true about flu
Here are the top five myths we’re hearing about the flu shot. And why the truth will make you feel better.
Myth 1: “The Flu shot will make me and my family sick”
Truth: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no form of the flu vaccine will give you or your family the flu. Some people do have mild symptoms after receiving the vaccine, which is normal. These symptoms may last a few hours or up to a day, but it’s not flu illness. Everyone six months or older should get the flu shot, but it’s especially important for young children and adults 65 years and older. After you receive the shot, it can take about two weeks for the body to build up protection against flu viruses.
See how vaccines work
How vaccines work
When a virus enters the body, it attempts to reproduce
A healthy immune system recognizes a virus as a foreign invader, and responds by making proteins called antibodies
Your antibodies seek to destroy the virus.
But if they are unfamiliar with the virus, they may be ineffective at fighting it.
You may develop fevers, inflammation, chills, pain & other serious symptoms that can even be fatal
If you recover, the antibodies remain in your body and help prevent future infection from the same virus
Vaccines, the greatest medical innovation of modern life, help you develop immunity safely, without getting sick
Vaccines are made from a tiny, safe amount of the virus that is either killed or weakened before it is injected via a shot
Vaccines are experts at training your body to make antibodies.
These antibodies are experienced fighters that can destroy viruses they recognize before you get sick again
Once a vaccine has trained your body to protect itself from a virus, you are immune to that virus
Myth 2: “I don’t need a flu shot if I’ve had the flu”
Truth: Viruses that cause the flu change every year. The strain of flu you caught last year won’t be the same as the one you’d catch this year. Likewise, last year’s vaccine won’t work on this year’s strains. With certain viruses, a vaccine can protect you for much longer periods. But that’s just not the case for the flu virus. Additionally, if you’ve gotten your COVID-19 shot, you still need the flu shot to protect yourself against the flu.
Myth 3: “The flu shot only protects against a limited number of strains, so there’s no point in getting one”
Truth: ruth: It’s still critical to get the flu shot. While it’s true that the flu shot only protects against a limited number of strains, they’re the most common strains expected for the current flu season, as determined by extensive, ongoing research conducted by the CDC. Learn more about the different flu strains.
Myth 4: “The flu is the same as a bad cold”
Truth: Flu symptoms, such as a sore throat, runny nose, and cough, can be similar to a bad cold, but the flu virus is much more dangerous than the common cold. According to the CDC, the flu caused 16 million medical visits, 390,000 hospitalizations, and 25,000 deaths during the 2019-2020 flu season. Getting a flu shot helps prevent getting the flu, and decreases the chance of severe symptoms if you do get it.
Myth 5: “I'm in good HEALTH, SO I DON’T NEED A FLU SHOT”
Truth: Anyone can catch the flu, even people who are feeling healthy and have no health issues. Healthy people who catch the flu can still end up in bed for a week, or miss time from work. The CDC recommends annual flu shots for everyone older than six months of age, including those who are pregnant.