The weather has turned chilly, the days are shorter, and the holiday season is right around the corner. You know what that means — it's officially flu season.
Maybe that's not what you were thinking, but it is true. In the US, flu season is in the fall and winter, and most of the activity usually peaks between December and February.
In order to emphasize the importance of getting your flu shot, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have designated December 6-12, 2021 as National Influenza Vaccination Week. Their primary message is that it’s not too late — and it’s certainly still worth it — to get your flu shot.
The impacts of getting the flu can range from feeling crummy and missing work for a few days to ending up in the hospital. Fortunately, the flu shot can reduce your risk of needing to see a doctor because of the flu by up to 60%.
It may be December already, but it’s not too late to get your flu vaccine. Here’s an overview of the flu shot — and how it can help keep you and your loved ones healthy.
How Do Flu Vaccines Work?
"Despite common misconceptions, the flu shot doesn’t actually give you the flu. Flu vaccines are made with either inactivated (or killed) viruses or a single protein from the flu virus. The nasal spray vaccine, on the other hand, does contain live viruses. However, they are weakened, so they won’t cause illness," says Shafinaz Akhter, MD, Infectious Disease Physician at Chester County Hospital.
When you get a flu shot, your body is forced to develop antibodies. These antibodies protect you against getting infected with circulating influenza viruses.
In the US, all flu vaccines are "quadrivalent" — meaning they protect against four different flu viruses. Each year, researchers determine which viruses they believe will be the most common. Then, those viruses go into that year's flu shot.
What Are the Benefits of Getting a Flu Shot?
There are plenty of reasons to get the flu shot, but they all center around one purpose — keeping you and your loved ones safe against the flu.
Here are some specific benefits of the flu vaccine.
- Preventing Illness: "The primary goal of the flu shot is to keep you from getting the flu. Each year, the flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related visits to the doctor. In the weeks that follow your flu vaccine, your body is already hard at work developing antibodies. Once those are built, your body will be better equipped to fight off the flu virus if you become exposed to it," says Jennifer Gervasi, MPH, BSN, RN, Infection Preventionist at Chester County Hospital.
- Reducing Severity of Illness: If you do become ill with the flu, the flu vaccine can reduce how sick you get. In 2021, the flu vaccine was associated with over a 25% lower risk of admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and over a 30% lower risk of death from the flu.
- Reducing Chances of Hospitalization: Each year, the flu vaccine keeps tens of thousands of people from being hospitalized by the flu. This is particularly true for children. A 2014 study showed that the flu shot reduced children’s risk of ending up in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) by nearly 75%.
- Reducing Complications in People With Chronic Health Conditions: While anyone can get severe influenza, people with chronic health conditions have a higher risk of developing severe illness from the flu. If you have heart disease, the flu shot can lower your risk of cardiac events, like a heart attack. If you have chronic lung disease, it can reduce the risk of your condition worsening due to the flu. And if you have diabetes, it can lower your chances of hospitalization.
- Protecting Women During and After Pregnancy: It's common for pregnant women to have lowered immune systems. Fortunately, the flu vaccine can protect women during and after pregnancy. To start, the flu shot reduces a pregnant woman's risk of being hospitalized from the flu. Additionally, when a flu vaccine is given during pregnancy, it can help protect the baby for months after the birth — when they're too young to get the flu shot themselves.
- Protecting Others: As with many vaccines, getting the flu shot isn’t just about you — it's also about protecting those around you. Other people may be more vulnerable to severe illness from the flu — like babies, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions. When you get your flu shot, you’re keeping them safe and healthy by preventing the spread of the flu.
COVID-19 and the Flu: Helping Hospitals Navigate the Twindemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and it's continuing to overwhelm hospitals. In fact, in states like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Arkansas, there continues to be ICU capacity concerns.
Add in the flu season, and you have what health experts are calling the twindemic — the simultaneous occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the flu.
By getting your flu shot, you can reduce your chances of hospitalization and help hospitals manage the influx of patients from COVID-19.
Flu Shot Today, Healthy Tomorrow
Flu prevention is critical for your health any year. This year, due to COVID-19, it may be even more essential. And while we are already into this year's flu season, it’s not too late to take preventative measures, including washing your hands frequently, regularly disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in your home, and — of course — getting your flu shot.
By taking ten minutes to get your flu vaccine, you can prevent illness down the road — for you and everyone around you.
Do You Still Need Your Flu Shot?
Make an appointment with your CCH primary care provider or your local pharmacy to get vaccinated today.