Flu

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

We might have had our annual Drive-Thru Flu Clinic but that does not mean it is too late for you to come and get your flu shots this year!

When should I get vaccinated?

You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begin spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Make plans to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. However, getting vaccinated early (for example, in July or August) is likely to be associated with reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season, particularly among older adults. Vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later.

Myths about the Flu Shot

MYTH: You can catch the flu from the vaccine.

The flu shot is made from an inactivated virus that can’t transmit infection. So, people who get sick after receiving a flu vaccination were going to get sick anyway. It takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. But people assume that because they got sick after getting the vaccine, the flu shot caused their illness.

MYTH: Healthy people don't need to be vaccinated.

While it’s especially important for people who have a chronic illness to get the flu shot, anyone — even healthy folks — can benefit from being vaccinated. Current CDC guidelines recommend yearly vaccination against influenza for everyone older than 6 months of age, including pregnant women.

MYTH: Getting the flu vaccination is all you need to do to protect yourself from the flu.

There are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself during flu season besides vaccination. Avoid contact with people who have the flu, wash your hands frequently, and consider taking anti-viral medications if you were exposed to the flu before being vaccinated.

MYTH: The flu is just a bad cold.

Influenza may cause bad cold symptoms, like sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness, and cough. But according to CDC, the 2019-20 flu season led to at least 18 million medical visits, 24,000 deaths and 410,000 hospitalizations. The cumulative hospitalization rate for children ages four and under this flu season was 95.1 per 100,000 people as of the week ending on April 25, 2020. Experts attribute the high number of pediatric deaths to a “double barrel” flu season where both influenza A and B were dominant. It’s not too late to get a flu shot. Even if it doesn’t prevent you from getting the flu, it can decrease the chance of severe symptoms.

MYTH: You can't spread the flu if you're feeling well.

Actually, 20% to 30% of people carrying the influenza virus have no symptoms.
you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak.

MYTH: You don't need to get a flu shot every year.

The influenza virus changes (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.

MYTH: You can catch the flu from going out in cold weather without a coat, with wet hair or by sitting near a drafty window.

The only way to catch the flu is by being exposed to the influenza virus. Flu season coincides with the cold weather. So, people often associate the flu with a cold, drafty environment. But they are not related.