Misconceptions about the Flu Vaccine
No one enjoys getting the flu! One simple and easy step you can take to help prevent the flu is to get your annual flu shot, but there are some misconceptions about the vaccine. If you�ve heard the myths, consider these facts below before deciding against the flu shot this year.
Myth: Flu vaccines are not needed every year.
Fact: A flu vaccine is needed every season for two reasons. The body�s immune response from vaccination declines over time, and flu viruses are constantly changing. The formulation of the flu vaccine is reviewed each year and sometimes updated to keep up with changing flu viruses.
Myth: It is better to wait and get the flu vaccine later in flu season.
Fact: Get the vaccine as soon as it is available in your area. It takes up to two weeks for the vaccine to take effect in your body. Flu season usually peaks between December and February. Early immunization is the most effective, but it is not too late to get the vaccine in January or beyond.
Myth: I exercise regularly and eat healthy so I do not need to get vaccinated.
Fact: Current recommendations include one seasonal annual vaccine for everyone over six months of age. The flu virus can spread when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks and can be transmitted on surfaces that are touched by both sick and healthy people. Even healthy people can be infected with the flu virus without showing any symptoms and unknowingly infect others.
Myth: You can get the flu from the vaccine.
Fact: The flu vaccine is made from a dead virus and can�t transmit infection. Local reactions to the vaccine can occur including pain at injection site or low-grade fever. Less than 1% of people who are vaccinated with the injectable vaccine develop flu-like symptoms, such as mild fever and muscle aches, after vaccination. These side effects are not the same as having influenza, but people confuse the symptoms.
Myth: I had the flu even though I got vaccinated, so the flu vaccine didn�t work.
Fact: Flu vaccine is designed to cover the virus strains that are expected to be the most active during the season, but a person many get a different flu virus that is not included in the vaccine. If you are vaccinated against the flu, it is still possible to get the flu from other strains of the virus. However, people who have been vaccinated typically experience less severe symptoms and the duration of illness is shorter.
If these facts aren�t enough, Kroger and The Little Clinic have a great reason for you to stop by our clinics to receive your shot. For every flu shot administered this season at The Little Clinic or Kroger Pharmacy, Kroger will donate one meal to the Feeding America network of food banks through its One Shot/One Meal Initiative.