Summer drawing to a close means we are quickly approaching the flu season. The flu (or influenza) is a contagious disease that spreads around the United Sates every winter. It can spread through being in close contact with someone who has the flu, with symptoms such as sneezing or coughing. Anyone can get the flu, but children, people over 65, pregnant women and people who have a weakened immunity are most at risk and can have the greatest complications if they do contract it.
The best way to protect yourself, your family and the people you work with from getting the flu is by getting the flu vaccine each year. The vaccine is usually available starting in late August, and once you receive the vaccine, it takes about two weeks for protection to develop. The good thing is that this protection lasts throughout the flu season, which begins around October and can last through May. People need to be vaccinated every year, because the viruses that are most likely to cause disease change each year.
Even though the flu vaccine offers the best protection against influenza, there are some people who should not get the vaccine. They include: people who have a life-threatening allergy to any part of the vaccine, or anyone who has had Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Additionally, it is always a good idea to wait to get the vaccine if you are not feeling well.
With any vaccine, like with any medication, there is a chance of side effects, but in the case of the flu vaccine, these are usually mild and go away within a day or so. Side effects may include soreness or redness at the site of the injection as well as mild achiness. But this does not mean that the vaccine gives people the flu! When we receive a vaccine, our bodies begin to make antibodies to fight whatever illness we are trying to protect against. As a result, sometimes people can feel a little under the weather, but that’s nothing compared to getting the flu!
To learn more about the flu vaccine, contact your doctor and get vaccinated! It protects all of us!
