Emma Szabo

With flu season in full swing, many people are asking a very important question — is the flu shot really necessary, or can I go without one? Plenty of people choose not to get their flu shot based on the many myths circulating, but the truth is that getting a flu shot can help protect your body and help prevent the spread of sickness within your community. Viruses like the flu are spread through droplets that leave a person’s body when they cough, sneeze, or talk, and the symptoms of the flu are serious enough to kill, so it’s important to keep yourself and others safe. Choosing not to get a flu shot because of something you’ve heard circulating that may not be true isn’t worth the danger of getting sick or infecting others.

In order to understand the dangers of the flu and why the flu shot is important, the symptoms and the myths surrounding the flu need to be known. There are two main strains of the flu, type A and type B. They both have the same symptoms, but type A can be spread by both humans and animals and the symptoms are more severe, while type B spreads slower and can only be spread by humans. The Texas Influenza Surveillance Activity Report has confirmed both flu types A and B are active in Bexar County, and surrounding areas are having more flu cases each week. The flu has symptoms

similar to a cold, like a sore throat, stuffy nose, and fatigue, but the symptoms of the flu show up abruptly while symptoms of a cold will appear gradually. Unlike a cold, the flu can give you muscle pains, chills, chest pains, inflammation of the heart and brain, and can lead to more serious conditions like pneumonia and can cause bacterial infections. These symptoms and conditions are especially dangerous for children under five and adults over 65, who make up almost 85% of seasonal flu related deaths. Another group of people that are at high risk of developing flu complications are people with asthma, who are more likely to develop pneumonia from the flu than those without asthma. The flu shot protects against both strains A and B and can easily prevent all of these symptoms, which range from annoying to dangerous, and prevents the virus from spreading to the people most vulnerable.

One of the most popular myths going around about the flu shot is that it can give you the flu. The shot no longer includes a living or weakened flu virus, but instead uses a dead virus or genes from the virus that will produce a response from your immune system. Since there is no living virus in the shot, there is no way it can give you the flu, but the shot can cause soreness, headaches, and fever. If you do get the flu even after getting a flu shot, it may be a different strain than what the flu shot protects against, since the shot only targets the most prominent flu strain of the season, or you could have been infected with the flu before getting the shot. The vaccine takes about two weeks to be fully effective,

so it’s recommended that people get the shot before the end of October so the vaccine is in effect by the time flu season is at its worst. It’s never too late to get a flu shot, though. Doctors recommend getting the flu shot even if it’s late in the season, since late vaccination is better than no vaccination.

Another myth is that the flu isn’t that serious, so healthy people can skip the shot. Even the healthiest people are susceptible to the flu, and being healthy doesn’t guarantee protection from the disease. The flu is also a very dangerous virus, which killed around 61,200 people last year and has already killed 1,124 people in Texas this year. Only two of the deaths were children, but both were not vaccinated for this flu season. The flu can and will kill, and the only way to prevent it is by getting a flu shot every year.

Because the flu is a widespread and serious virus, getting a flu shot is easy and can be done at almost every convenience store with a pharmacy. At most pharmacies, the flu shot costs around $40, but Costco has them for only $20 for both members and non members. Getting a flu shot is more beneficial in the long run than skipping it, and it helps others stay safe from the virus. Besides the basic measures of washing your hands, coughing into your elbow, and limiting contact with sick people, the flu shot is the only way to decrease the chance of getting the flu. Essential oils and washing your hands all the time can not protect you from the flu, but a flu shot can. Not getting the shot is a useless risk to take, and the consequences can affect everyone around you. Friends, classmates, family, and everyone you regularly interact with may have a higher chance of getting the flu just because you didn’t want to get your vaccine. It’s a completely safe and low cost shot, so there isn’t any reason to avoid getting it. The best way to keep yourself and others healthy every flu season is getting the flu shot, which is the best protection against getting sick.