Fall is around the corner and so is cold and flu season. At Balboa Medical Center & Spa in Encino, California, Dr. Amir Raeesy is committed to keeping patients feeling good inside and out. And this time of year, staying healthy starts with protecting yourself again the flu, with your flu shot.
The flu shot is an essential vaccine and your best prevention against spending days or more stuck in bed with a fever, aches, and chills.
Here Dr. Raeesy breaks down everything you need to know about the flu vaccine and the importance of getting yours early.
Who should get a flu shot?
The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine annually. Anyone can catch the flu, and since flu strains are constantly evolving, last year’s vaccine won’t protect you against this year’s virus.
Only infants and those with life-threatening allergies to ingredients in the vaccine should not get the flu vaccinated.
Why you don’t want the flu
Flu symptoms (feverish/chills, sore throat, muscle or body aches, etc.…) are a pain.
And while most sufferers recover in a few days to less than two weeks, some people develop severe complications, such as pneumonia, some of which can be life-threatening.
Why you should get the flu shot early?
This year, getting your flu shot early is more important than ever due to the ongoing risk of COVID-19. The more time your body has to develop flu antibodies, the more protected you are throughout the flu season.
After you are vaccinated, It takes about two weeks for your body to produce the necessary antibodies to protect against the flu. Scheduling your flu vaccine in September or October provides the most effective protection — before the virus starts spreading widely.
Won’t the flu shot make me sick?
Becoming sick from the flu shot is a common myth. In reality, the flu shot protects you from the virus; it doesn’t make you sick.
The influenza vaccine is created from either dead viruses or a single gene of a virus. Dead viruses are inactive and therefore cannot cause illness. Single-gene vaccines cause an immune response without causing illness.
You may experience side effects from the flu shot, but most are mild and are limited to soreness or swelling at the injection site. Some people may experience minor fatigue or muscle aches within a day of receiving the shot, but they subside quickly.
Don’t wait to get your flu shot. Book your vaccine appointment early. Call (818) 701-0017 or request an appointment online today.