JACKSON, Miss– Many people believe the flu shot is pointless and only makes them sick. News Mississippi met with a doctor to get the information about the vaccine.
Flu season is just around the corner. The flu shot gets mixed reviews ranging from “I’ll never skip it,” to “I’ll never get it.” Many in the negative corner think that the shot will actually give them the flu, or it won’t work.
“There are three reasons to get the flu shot,” says Dr. Daniel Vanarske of Mississippi Asthma and Allergy Clinic, “It reduces the likelihood of you getting the flu. Secondly, if you do get it, it won’t be as severe. The third reason is to protect everyone else from getting it, so you don’t pass it along.”
The shot protects from seventy percent of the strains that could cause the flu. Those numbers seem low
“The flu shot is the CDC’s best guess as to what strain of the flu is more affluent in the community,” says Dr. Vanarske, “so though not as effective as we’d like, it’s still effective.”
There are two shots this year, one protects from three strains of the flu, and the other protects from four strains.
“You cannot get the flu from the flu shot,” says Dr. Vanarske, “soreness at the site of injection, low grade temperature, and general sense of fatigue and not feeling well are side effects-they go away in a day or two. You can combat those side effects with ibuprofen or tylenol.”
Here’s the whole interview with Dr. Vanarske
Call your doctor or see your pharmacist about getting the flu vaccine and which one is right for you.
