It's Flu Shot Season

cc licensed flickr photo shared by USACE Europe District

If you're anywhere near a pharmacy or a television, you've probably been bombarded with flu shot messages. From late summer through the winter everyone from public health officials to commercial pharmacies are clamoring for your attention. Despite (or maybe because of) all the media coverage, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the pros and cons of influenze vaccination. As a health care worker, it's in your best interest to have the latest and most accurate information. Here are a few things to remember about the much-hyped flu shots.

1. It is important to get a new flu shot every year.

A shot from last year won't protect you anymore. Why? There are many different strains of influenza. Health officials predict the most common or virulent strains and create a new vacciene each year to target these strains. Also, immunity fades over time, so while a flu shot might have kept you healthy last year, it won't offer much protection this year.

2. It's important for everyone to get a flu shot.

While at-risk populations like the elderly and pregnant women are highly encouraged to get vaccinated, the best way to prevent the spread of influenza is for as many people as possible to get a flu shot. The flu is spread when one individual becomes sick and passes on the virus to another. If you boost your immunity with a flu shot, you are less likely to contract the flu, and your body won't have any flu germs to pass along. More vaccinations mean fewer people will harbor and spread influenza, and that's good news for everyone!

3. It's important to get your shot as soon as possible.

Since the vacciene works by triggering an immune response, you need to allow time for your body's natural defense system to get up to speed. A flu shot can take up to two weeks to reach its full effectiveness. The sooner you're vaccinated, the sooner your body can get to work at protecting you.

For more information, please visit the Center For Disease Control and Prevention's Seasonal Flu information page.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet?