Flu Vaccine Myths & Facts

Flu season has arrived. Did you have your flu vaccination? Many people avoid flu vaccinations because misinformation steers them away from this important annual preventive vaccine. There are many myths and facts about the flu vaccine so, Enriched Living at Home will share some of that information over the next several days.

Myth: I got the vaccine and still got the flu so it must not be effective

Fact: The vaccine prevents the flue in approximately 70 – 90% of healthy people under the age of 65. The effectiveness of the vaccine is subject to variables such as the amount of time between vaccination and exposure to the virus, age and health status, and the match between the virus strains in the vaccine and those in circulation.

Myth: I got a vaccine last year, so I don’t need one this year

Fact: Because influenza strains typically change each year, you cannot count on last year’s vaccine to protect you this year.

Myth: If I get the vaccine, it might give me the flu

Fact: A flu shot will not give you the flu. The viral strains in injectable influenza vaccine have been inactivated, making it biologically unable to cause illness. The viral strains in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with the influenza illness

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