The American Medical Association, American Academy of Physicians, and American Hospital Association, recommend that anyone age 6 and older get a yearly flu vaccine. Despite this, less than half the U.S. adult population heeds their advice. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than half of adults ages 18 and over were vaccinated against flu last year and 63.8 percent of children ages 6 through 17 were vaccinated.
People who are hesitant to get vaccinated say they are fearful of side effects. Many think the vaccine will cause them to get the flu. However, nothing could be further than the truth. This is because the influenza vaccine is made with viruses that are dead, and therefore not infectious. The flu is nothing like a simple cold. As with COVID-19 vaccines, getting the flu vaccine means that you are far less likely to die or be hospitalized. This is important, as last season resulted in 400,000 influenza hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths.
Common side effects of the flu shot are soreness, redness, and/or swelling at the vaccine site, headache, low fever, nausea, and muscle aches. The side effects typically occur soon after receiving the vaccine, and last only one or two days, at most. Taking Tylenol typically alleviates the side effects. People who have an egg allergy should receive the flu vaccine in a health care setting so that they can be monitored. However, there are now egg-free flu vaccines available.
Individuals who are immunocompromised need not be concerned about getting a flu shot. The American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association (ADA), and American Heart Association (AHA) are encouraging everyone to make getting a flu shot a priority. This includes older adults and those with underlying conditions. The AHA notes that 93 percent of adults hospitalized during the 2018-19 flu season had at least one underlying health condition. The AHA says older adults are also at a higher risk of catastrophic disability and loss of independence due to the flu.
As with the COVID-19 vaccines, it is also important for pregnant women to get vaccinated against the flu. Not only does it protect them, but it also protects their baby. The risk is much higher for pregnant women who get the flu to become severely affected and die.
One rare reaction to the flu vaccine that occurs in a very small number of people is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The disorder causes the body’s immune system to attacks nerve cells resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis. According to the CDC, GBS affects one or two cases per one million people. While rare, GBS is serious. Fortunately, most people recover from it. The mortality rate is between 4 and 7 percent.
The most important thing to know is that the side effects of getting a flu shot cannot compare to the damage that the actual flu virus can cause to those who get it.
Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2021-2022.htm