4 Reasons to Get a Flu Shot

Autumn is known for cooler weather, falling leaves, and football Saturdays, among others. It is also the beginning of flu season. The best way to protect yourself (and others) from influenza is by getting your yearly flu shot. Getting the flu shot is safe and easy. Here are four reasons to get your flu shot today.

1. It Protects You
The CDC estimates that there were over 79,000 influenza-related deaths during the 2017-2018 flu season. Getting your yearly flu shot helps protect you from getting the disease from others.

You should get the flu shot once a year every year as the influenza virus is constantly mutating into new strains and the flu shot is always being updated to fight these new versions.

2. It Protects Others
Getting the influenza vaccination not only protects yourself from the flu, but you are helping protect others. The flu can bring serious health complications in some cases for the elderly, infants/young children, and those who cannot be immunized like cancer patients. Pregnant women who receive the influenza vaccination can pass the benefits onto their newborn babies as well.

3. It Works
During the 2016-2017 flu season, the CDC reports that an estimated 5.3 million flu cases were prevented just from people receiving the flu vaccine.

There are some reasons why someone might get the flu after getting a flu shot, but in those cases, their symptoms were much less severe because they got the flu shot.

4. It’s Safe
There is a misconception that the influenza vaccine causes a person to get the flu. This is not true. Flu shots do not cause influenza. After receiving the shot, it takes two weeks for your body to full become immune. You can get sick during this time, but it won’t be from the flu shot itself.

If you feel a low-grade fever, headaches, or mild body aches after receiving the flu shot, this is common. It is your body’s response to the vaccine’s inactive influenza virus and does not mean that you are having an allergic reaction to the shot. Everyone is different and your reaction to the vaccine will vary.

Conclusion
The sooner you get your flu shot this year, the sooner you and those around you will be protected. Stop by one of our clinics today and get yours!