Two types of people inhabit the world: those who use bookmarks when reading a book and those who prefer to dog-ear their stopping place. Those who keep their inbox at zero unread emails and those who don’t mind having 36,932 messages. Those who get flu shots every single year and those who don’t
How you choose to handle emails and books won’t affect your health, but flu shots can make a difference. If you fall in the group who doesn’t get flu shots, here are a few reasons to convince you to switch sides and get one.
The truth about flu shots
- You really do need to get one annually. Each year’s flu shot is customized. It’s new vaccine is created especially for the upcoming season to protect you from the flu viruses that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) researchers predict will be the most common. That means, even if you got one last year, you’ll need to get it again this year.
- It won’t make you sick. A flu shot does not – and cannot – give you the flu.
- It does not start to work immediately. It takes about two weeks for a new flu shot to begin safeguarding you. The ability of the vaccine to protect is based on age and health status. The older or younger you are, the more effective the injection will be. In fact, there are high-dose influenza injections available for people age 65 and older.
Learn more about the flu shot and pregnancy.
It’s never too late
Flu season start in October and lasts until May. Getting vaccinated as soon as possible is ideal. Even once flu season is underway, it’s not too late. It’s still worth it to talk to your doctor and schedule a flu shot. Right now, the flu season is just beginning.
It is easy to trivialize the flu, but you shouldn’t . Each year influenza affects millions and hospitalizes hundreds of thousands.
Typically, winter outbreaks of the flu hit hardest in December and continue through February. Once you get sick, it is till not too late because influenza strains enter communities, mutate, and then return. It is common for patients to contract influenza more than once a year.
Our team here at Logansport Memorial Hospital urges you to get a flu shot annually. We recommend the influenza vaccine each year for everyone who is six months old and up. The research is clear; there is no doubt, flu shots reduce your risk of the flu.
Come see us and let us help you get vaccinated.
