isery loves misconception: Learn the truth about flu protection to stay healthy this season.(Photo: Tom Merton/OJO Images/Getty Images)
If you’re planning to get a flu shot, now is the time: the vaccine offers the best protection before
flu season kicks into high gear in late fall. “The flu vaccine is the
number one way to prevent influenza unless you live in a bubble,” said
Susan Rehm, MD, vice chair for Cleveland Clinic’s Department of
Infectious Disease. Still, myths about the flu vaccine persist. Here,
some of the top misconceptions — and the reality.
Myth #1: The protection lasts for more than a year
For the flu shot to be
effective, you need one every year, ideally as soon as it’s available so
that your defenses are raised through the entire flu season. There are
two reasons for this: Just like a tetanus shot protects you for 10
years, the flu shot covers you for one. You might have some lingering
effects after the 365-day mark, but it won’t be nearly as powerful.
Secondly, last fall’s vaccine
might not work against the new strains circulating this season. “The flu
virus changes all the time. It changes a little bit during the season,
from October to May, and it certainly changes from year to year,” said
Michael Jhung, MD, medical officer at the Influenza Division of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To account for
that, scientists adjust the formula every year in order to match it to
the specific types of influenza virus that experts predict will be the
most common.
Myth #2: Receiving the flu vaccine ensures you won’t get sick
Overall, the flu shot is about
50 percent effective, Dr. Jhung said. That doesn’t mean you have a 50/50
chance of getting the flu. Rather it means that your personal flu risk —
whatever that likelihood may be — is cut in half by getting the shot.
“Think of a best friend who does all of the things you do, meets all of
the same people, and so has the same exposure to the flu virus as you
do,” Dr. Jhung explained. “If you had your flu shot and your friend
didn’t, your risk of coming down with the flu would be about half of
hers.”
The vaccines available in the
U.S. defer protection against either three or four different flu
viruses, depending on the vaccine you choose. Determining which viruses
to include is a bit like reading the weather — experts make the best
educated guess possible, but don’t always get it right. “We look at
strains circulating in the previous season and over the summer, and in
other parts of the world,” said Dr. Jhung. “The Southern
Hemisphere has their flu season at the opposite time as our flu season,
so we’re able to see what’s coming by looking at what their countries
are going through.” When the vaccine is a good match, it’s about 60
percent effective, research shows.
How well the shot works also
differs from one individual to another. “It’s hard to say exactly how
effective the flu vaccine will be for a particular person,” Dr. Rehm
told Yahoo Health.
Myth #3: There’s no reason to get the vaccine if you’re young and healthy
The flu is more dangerous than
you might realize. Every year, about 200,000 people are hospitalized due
to the flu or flu-related complications. The number of flu-related
deaths swings widely from one year to another, but ranges from about
3,000 to 49,000, according to a CDC analysis.
It’s true that older adults,
young children, and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and
heart disease are especially at risk for serious flu-related health
problems. But by getting your flu shot, you reduce your risk of
transmitting the flu to them. A June 2014 study
found that kids ages five and younger were significantly more likely to
be hospitalized for the flu if no one in their household received a flu
shot. But if even one family member was vaccinated, the risk for a
flu-related hospital visit decreased.
“If you have an infant at home
or a grandparent and you’re not vaccinated, you’re putting them at
risk,” Dr. Jhung said. “You get vaccinated not only to protect yourself,
but to protect your family and your community.”
Is the flu shot right for you? Visit the CDC’s guide here.
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