Every year I get asked the same question: Should I get a flu shot? Most of the time, I tell people that it’s really up to their health. Do they have a compromised immune system? Are they older? Are they pregnant? Do they have small children? Most people decide that they probably won’t. I would have included myself in that group but not any more. I’m getting a flu shot this year and every year because of an article Paula forwarded to me from Popular Science.

You typically hear the same arguments about why you should or shouldn’t get a flu shot, but the author in the article used a different approach: the flu shot is not to prevent you from getting the flu, it’s to reduce the risk you pass it along to one of those at-risk groups I mentioned earlier. If you’re healthy and young, you probably won’t get very sick if you get the flu and the risk of getting hospitalized or worse is low. But for your children, your parents, your grandparents, friends or coworkers with compromised immune systems, and even strangers whose paths you cross, the results could be very different.

I checked the CDC stats on the cases of flu, hospitalizations, and death from the flu. While the numbers vary due to the severity of the flu in any given season, every year between 9 million to 36 million people will get the flu, 140,000–710,000 will be hospitalized, and 12,000–56,000 will die. The author estimated that it would take vaccination of 80% of the population to protect the most at-risk groups, and we get nowhere near that many people vaccinated.

You’ve probably heard a lot of misinformation about the flu shot, but the article reminds us:

• You can’t get the flu from the flu shot.
• It takes a few weeks for the vaccine to kick in, so if you get sick right after the shot it was just a coincidence.
• If you still get the flu, the vaccine helps you fend off life-threatening complications.

So now my questions will be different. Do you know anyone with a compromised immune system? Do you know anyone who’s older? Do you know anyone who’s pregnant? Do you know anyone with small children? Do you ever see anyone out in public who would fit into any of those categories?

Unless you can answer no to all those questions, get the flu shot every year. It may or may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it might keep someone you care about from getting it.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

References:
1. https://www.popsci.com/you-should-get-flu-shot
2. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/burden.htm