Why Aren’t You Getting a Flu Shot?

Why Aren’t You Getting a Flu Shot? If you’ve ever had the flu, you know:  It’s not just a cold – it can be a monster!  It can land you flat on your back. Fever and chills cause sweating one minute, shaking the next.  Agonizing headache can be relentless. Severe muscle aches.  A throat so sore eating or drinking feels like swallowing razor blades.  Oh yeah, and the cough keeps you from sleeping just when you need rest the most.  On top of all that, flu can deteriorate into pneumonia (even if healthy) and an inconvenient hospital stay. Worst of all, you can die from flu.  Several hundred thousand people, old and young alike, die every year.

Having the flu can cost you lost time at work/school.  It can make you miss sports and social events. Upcoming holidays…you can spread it to family, friends, co-workers (they would really appreciate that, think of exposing your friend’s 4 month old baby).

Some think they can dodge the flu forever…that’s wishful thinking.  It’s a highly contagious virus.

You are not powerless. There is a safe and darn effective vaccine.  It’s easy to find around here and it’s inexpensive compared to antiviral medications, throat lozenges, cough medicine and missing days at work.  The flu shot CANNOT give you the flu.  It’s a dead virus.  It’s impossible to get the flu from a dead virus. If you had flu symptoms soon after vaccine, it means you were already exposed to someone’s flu virus and were going to get sick anyway.  The flu shot takes a week or two to become effective.

The shot can make your arm sore, but, believe me, I have had both (the vaccine and the infection)…I’ll take the sore arm instead of the flu any day.

No, it’s not perfect and may not protect you 100%, but it’s still worth it.

The nasal spray flu vaccine isn’t recommended in the U.S. this season due to poor effectiveness over the past couple winters. I’m glad the scientists at the CDC are monitoring such things and recommend changes to protect me.

Flu vaccine is recommended for people 6 months and older. If you don’t have insurance or money to pay, our health will take care of you.

So make time in that busy schedule to visit your doctor, pharmacy, or health department and get that flu shot!

Cindy Mankamyer
McHenry