Each season, the influenza virus sickens as many as one-fifth of all Americans, sending an estimated 200,000 of us to the hospital. And though death rates vary widely year to year, some flu seasons have racked up close to 50,000 fatalities.
To fight this menace, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend you, along with everyone else, roll up your sleeve and get a flu shot. But if you’re still hesitating based on false impressions about the vaccine, it’s time to read on for the reality.
Myth #1: The flu shot causes the flu
Not possible. The virus in the injection is “dead, dead, dead,” says George DiFerdinando, M.D., a public health physician at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “It’s impossible for non-living material to replicate in your body.”
Though most opt for the shot, which contains a needleful of an inactivated virus, there is also a nasal spray alternative. The inhaled version of the vaccine is approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49, as long as they’re not pregnant. And while it does contain a live virus, the germ has been altered so it can’t live outside your nasal passages, Dr. DiFerdinando says.
If you get ill soon after immunization, you’re either having a mild reaction or you’ve caught a different bug altogether, says Wilbur Chen, M.D., a vaccinologist at the University of Maryland.
Myth #2: The shot has major side effects
Some people report arm soreness or fatigue—nothing that can’t be managed with a few doses of Tylenol, says Susan V. Donelan, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and Stony Brook University Hospital Epidemiologist.
“In general, the flu shot has one of the best safety records of all vaccines,” says Dr. Chen. An analysis of the most recent flu season published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine noted few adverse events and cleared the shot of causing Guillain–Barré syndrome—a serious neurological problem linked to the swine-flu shot in 1976.
Myth #3: Only older people need to get vaccinated
The elderly are most in danger of dying from the flu, as are infants and people with chronic health conditions, says Dr. DiFerdinando. An estimated 90 percent of the flu-related deaths each year are among adults age 65 and older. But that doesn’t mean younger people don’t have to worry about being inoculated.
When you get the shot, your immunity helps protect everyone you come in contact with—your grandparents, nieces and nephews, or that hot barista who happens to have diabetes.
Not inclined to think of others? If you get sick, you’ll likely miss significant time from school or work, says Robert Couch, M.D., of the department of molecular virology & microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. In fact, a recent research review confirms the average bout of flu will keep you out of the office three to five days. And who wants that in this economy?
Myth #4: You shouldn’t receive the flu shot if you’re allergic to eggs
Flu vaccines do contain miniscule amounts of egg protein, but usually not enough to cause a reaction. That’s especially true if omelets give you an upset stomach or hives rather than, say, anaphylactic shock, says Dr. DiFerdinando.
Guidelines released last year by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommend the shot for most people with egg allergies. Check in with your doctor first, though, if you’re concerned.
Myth #5: If you were immunized last year, you don’t need to do it again
The flu is a “tenacious little virus,” changing and mutating every year, Dr. DiFerdinando says. Top scientists meet each winter to decide which strains to target, and change them almost every season.
The 2011-2012 vaccine is a rare exception, targeting the same three strains as last year. But it’s still been tweaked to boost effectiveness, Dr. DiFerdinando says. And, though your protection lasts through one flu season, it’s much weaker by the time the next one rolls around.
Myth #6: You can’t receive a flu shot if you have a cold
Don’t let the sniffles stop you. Allergies, the common cold, or even a mild fever aren’t good reasons to avoid or delay vaccination, Dr. Donelan says.
However, if your fever is over 101 degrees, wait until you’re better for at least 24 hours. “Generally, the best immune response (and therefore the best protection afforded) to a vaccine is when a person is healthy,” Dr. Chen says. If you’re in doubt, check with the doctor or nurse administering the shot.
Myth #7: The flu shot isn’t really effective
The vaccine isn’t guaranteed to prevent flu 100 percent of the time. In fact, a recent study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases puts the average protection rate at about 60 percent. But among healthy adults younger than 65, the shot can reduce the chances of getting the flu by as much as 80 or 90 percent in a year when experts do a good job of predicting the circulating strains, says Dr. Couch.
Though the quest for even more effective vaccines continues, it’s important to remember what we’re up against. “Influenza is a major medical problem and a cause of serious illness, hospitalization, death, and loss of time from school and work and the functioning of our society,” he says. “This is our primary way of controlling and reducing the magnitude of that problem.”