Getting your yearly vaccination is important to protect yourself and others around you. Despite mistaken beliefs that getting a flu shot will be harmful during this Coronavirus pandemic, the reality is that getting your yearly vaccination is now more important than ever to protect yourself as well as save resources for those affected by the virus. If you still have some doubts, please continue reading to educate yourself, and get your flu shot as soon as possible!
Although most people regularly get their annual flu shots, they might not be aware of its purpose, and how exactly it helps us fight off the seasonal sicknesses. In fact, there is an abundance of benefits of getting this vaccination, for yourself and those around you.
What Is A Flu Shot?
The flu, short for Influenza, is a disease that peaks during certain time periods each year (hence the term "flu season"). Its effects on people are different depending on the individual, but millions get the disease every year, leading to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths.
The purpose of flu shots is to expose the body to small harmless amounts of the virus it is intended to protect against, which will cause the body to develop antibodies against the virus. Since the body has already developed protection when it encounters harmless amounts, in the event the person catches the actual virus, the body will already be familiar with it and be ready to carry out an effective immune response. The contents of the injection are updated each year, depending on changes regarding the status of viruses that are currently the most concerning.
Why Is This Important?
Not only does the flu shot strengthen your own immunity against potentially life-threatening diseases during the flu season, it also serves as a protection for others around you. This concept, known as "herd immunity", protects entire communities because once most individuals are vaccinated and aren't at as great of a risk of developing the disease, the others who may have less resources and haven't been vaccinated will also be protected, as they will be less likely to be exposed to the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual flu shots for everyone over 6 months old, especially people in these high risk groups:
- Pregnant/recently pregnant women
- Youth 18 and under receiving aspirin therapy
- Adults over 65 years old
- People with chronic medical conditions
- American Indians or Alaskan Natives
- People living/working in nursing homes and chronic care facilities
- People with higher body max index (40+ BMI)
In addition, people with jobs in more public settings, as well as their families, should also get flu shots to protect themselves due to the higher risk of exposure to the viruses. These employees include teachers, daycare workers, hospital workers, emergency response workers, and many more.
Precautions
However, in some cases, it might be best to not take an injection, namely, medical reasons such as if you have mercury allergies, severe egg allergies, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), fever, or have experienced bad reactions from previous flu shots.
In addition to the commonly used injections, the vaccine can also be given as a nasal spray and intradermal flu shot (shot injected into arm muscles). These options may be better for individuals who are scared of needles, but remember to talk to your doctor about it to decide if it's the best decision!
Debrief
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the flu season will most likely still come. It is even possible to have both diseases at the same time, so try to take as many health precautions as possible! Although the flu shot doesn't completely rid your chances of contracting the flu, it puts you at a significantly greater chance of more efficient recovery if you do contract it.
With all these reasons, please take your flu shot this fall! If you are concerned about financial setbacks, there are many locations that offer free flu shots, including the CVS pharmacy. There is always an option to get vaccinated, so do it!
Thank you so much for reading and stay safe!
References:
“Herd Immunity: Another Reason To Get A Flu Shot.” Henry Ford LiveWell, 10 Jan. 2020, www.henryford.com/blog/2020/01/flu-vaccine-herd-immunity.
“Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm.
Porter, Eloise. “Flu Season: Importance of Getting a Flu Shot.” Healthline, 29 Aug. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/flu/importance-of-flu-shot#who-should-get-it.
Silva, Joana Cavaco. “What Are Flu Vaccines Made of and Why?” Medical News Today, 30 Sept. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321207#what-is-in-a-flu-shot-and-why.
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