Why get the Flu Shot?
Why is the flu vaccine essential this year? It is an essential part of protecting public health and to help prevent the overrun of our healthcare system. With the dual threat of flu and COVID-19 this fall and winter, we need all to do what we can right now by getting a flu vaccine.
Flu vaccines are safe, effective and easy to get.
They are often free with your medical insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.
They are easy to get! Many pharmacies are able to administer the flu vaccine, or you can get from the health department.
Now that you are thinking about a flu vaccine, you may have all these myths in your head that you have heard for years. Let's dispel those myths, so you can feel safe and secure when getting a flu vaccine.
Have you ever heard someone tell you: “I don’t get the flu vaccine because my sister got the flu from it?” Truth, the flu vaccine is made from an inactivated virus that can NOT transmit infection. The flu vaccine doesn’t protect you immediately after receiving it, it takes 1-2 weeks to have protection against the flu. This is why it is important to get the flu vaccine early.
Some people say: “Oh, I got the flu shot a few years ago, I don’t need it again.” This is not true. The flu is a virus that mutates each year, so getting vaccinated each year is important to make sure you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak this year.
To sum it all up, each year the flu causes millions of illnesses in the United States, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths. This would be devastating to our healthcare system in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, please do your best to stay healthy, wear a mask, wash your hands, and get a flu vaccine.
Written by Liz Dayton, RN, Associate Director of Clinical Services at Meritan