I’ve heard pretty much every excuse there is why a patient doesn’t want to get a flu shot. Some claim it causes the flu, others are afraid of the ingredients it contains, and others feel that it doesn’t work. While we know that the circulating strains of influenza change every year, scientists are not making a crap shoot when they are deciding which strains to protect against every year. Actual science goes into this and it most often works. Even when there is some mismatch, you are more likely to be protected than not.
Any vaccine can have side effects and the influenza vaccine is no different. However, it is an inactivated vaccine and is incapable of causing an actual flu infection. People may feel low grade fevers, achy and have mild symptoms for 24-48 hours after the injection. Though many people wish to avoid the vaccination for this reason, an actual influenza infection can put a patient in bed for weeks and run the risk of secondary infections such a pneumonia. Very young and the elderly are more susceptible to suffering complications from this viral illness. Very young babies cannot be vaccinated for influenza so it makes sense that those around him/her be vaccinated to protect them.
There is much chatter going on these days around vaccines. While some people call it a debate, it is not really. Rather, it is a war on science by those who don’t understand it. Vaccines are well studied and the influenza vaccine is no different. People are not being killed by the flu shot as some proclaim and its safety has been well established. Even the prior contraindication of egg allergy has been re-examined and this is not a reason to keep all these patients from receiving the flu shot.
Every year, people die during the flu season. Some of these people had been previously healthy. Yes, we should all remember to undertake precautions to spread the infection, such as hand-washing and staying home when we are sick. Yet, none of these measures are as effective as being vaccinated. Many people feel it is fine to get sick and just stay home until they feel better. However, these patients most likely have already exposed others to the virus before they made the decision to stay home. And many people go to work or school no matter how sick they are. They usually don’t show up in my office until they’ve been sick for a few days and then they want a note to stay home from work. The best way to avoid all of this is to be vaccinated. Patients are not only protecting themselves from infection but also those who are unable to receive it because they are too young or for medical reasons.
The month flu season hits us every year changes for a multitude of reasons. It is better to be vaccinated early in case the flu season starts early. October is an ideal month to be vaccinated and it is effective for the entire season, even it there is a late onset. Rather than infecting others or suffering an illness, a flu shot is an easy way to avoid this.
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