Debunking Common Myths About the Flu Vaccine

What to Know About the Flu Vaccine

The weather’s getting colder, the days shorter, the leaves brighter. Maybe a tickle in your throat has reminded you it’s time to get your annual flu vaccine on the calendar.

To help make your decision, consider some of the myths and misconceptions that often cause people to second-guess their need for it.

Myth #1: The Flu Vaccine Will Give Me the Flu

Have you ever received the flu vaccine only to end up getting sick anyway? Or maybe you got the vaccine one year, got sick, then the next year you skipped it and you were perfectly healthy?

This is a common experience and many incorrectly conclude that it’s the vaccine that’s causing them to get sick.

It is not possible for the flu vaccine to directly cause the flu. The injectable vaccine is made with an inactivated form of the influenza virus, which means it’s dead and cannot cause infection.

However, the experience of some people feeling sick after getting the shot is real — but explainable. It can take time for the vaccine to provide protection against the virus — usually two weeks — so you might still get sick after you’ve received the shot. And since respiratory infections of all kinds tend to be higher during vaccine season, you may happen to get sick from another virus around the same time as your flu shot.

But in both cases, the vaccine is unrelated to infection.

Myth #2: I Don’t Need the Vaccine Because the Flu Isn’t Serious

If you’ve ever had the flu, you know that it may manifest as a few days of fever, runny nose, muscle aches and debilitating fatigue. Some bedrest and antivirals are often all it takes to get you back on your feet in no time.

You might think it’s just not that serious; little more than a bad cold.

But influenza is no small matter; flu illness is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Before saying “no” to the flu vaccine this year, consider that in some cases, this could be a serious diagnosis with long-term health effects.

Myth #3: Annual Flu Shots Are Excessive and Unnecessary

You got the flu shot last year so you should be good to skip it this year — right?

Not without potentially exposing yourself to a new strain.

The influenza virus mutates every year, meaning what worked against last year’s strain may not work again this year. Flu vaccines are updated annually to ensure they stay ahead of the latest mutations and are best equipped to protect you against them.

If you want the best protection against this year’s flu, you need this year’s vaccine.

Myth #4: Healthy People Don’t Need the Vaccine

You eat right, exercise regularly, and rarely find yourself in bed with a fever or other nasty symptoms. Since you’re healthy and the flu doesn’t seem like a concern, you may think you don’t need the vaccine.

But influenza is a highly contagious disease that can infect anyone, including healthy people. If you want to protect yourself against the flu, the most reliable way to do so is to get the flu vaccine.

It’s also important to remember you’re not the only one who benefits when you get the vaccine. If you get infected, whether the symptoms are mild or severe, you may be passing it on to people (e.g., children, elderly and immunocompromised people) who are likelier to come down with a bad infection.

Don’t fall for the common misconceptions about the flu vaccine. With the right plan and information, you can help prevent infection in yourself, your family and community.