What are the benefits of getting a flu shot?

Vaccine Benefits
  • Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
  • Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization for children, working age adults, and older adults.
  • Flu vaccination is an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions.

In this regard, is the flu shot a good idea?

The flu vaccine is a good idea for all families. It does not cause the flu and it helps keep kids and parents from getting sick. Getting the flu is worse than having a cold and can make a person sick for a week or more. Babies younger than 6 months old can't get the vaccine.

Similarly, who benefits from flu vaccine? Flu vaccination can help protect people who are at greater risk of getting seriously ill from flu, like older adults, people with chronic health conditions and young children (especially infants younger than 6 months old who are too young to get vaccinated).

Keeping this in consideration, how effective is flu shot 2019?

Recent studies by CDC researchers and other researchers suggest that flu vaccination usually reduces the risk of influenza illness by 40% to 60% among the overall population when the vaccine viruses are like the ones spreading in the community. For more information about vaccine effectiveness, click here.

Should I get the flu shot 2019?

For the 2019-20 flu season, ACIP recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, influenza vaccine that is appropriate for the recipient's age and health status (IIV, RIV4, or LAIV4) with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.

What are the negatives of the flu shot?

The most common ones are soreness, redness, or swelling at the point of injection. It is not uncommon for people to experience a sore throat, runny nose, low-grade fever, headache, or chills. While these side effects are a definite con for the flu vaccine, most people agree that they are much less severe than the flu.

Why you shouldn't take the flu shot?

People who have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine shouldn't get one. People who have an egg allergy should get the vaccine in a medical setting. Some people get a flu shot and still get influenza.

Do flu shots contain mercury?

FDA-approved seasonal influenza vaccines are available in single-dose presentations that do not contain thimerosal as a preservative for use in infants, children, adults, the elderly and pregnant women. Vaccines with trace amounts of thimerosal contain 1 microgram or less of mercury per dose.

How much does a flu shot cost?

Flu shots can range from $0 (yes, free) to $50 or more, depending on where you get your shot and what kind of vaccine you receive. Whether you're insured or not, there are ways to make your vaccines affordable.

How long are you contagious after a flu shot?

How long are you contagious? It may take one to four days after exposure to the influenza virus for symptoms to develop. If you have the flu, you'll be contagious one day before developing symptoms and up to five to seven days after becoming ill.

Does the flu shot weaken your immune system?

Getting a flu shot does not weaken your immune system and make you more likely to get the flu. A flu vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize that virus as a threat. While some people may still get the flu after having a flu shot, they'll probably have a milder form of the illness.

Should I give my child the flu shot 2019?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children 6 months of age and older receive an influenza vaccine, and both types of available flu vaccine (flu shot or nasal spray) can be given according to their indications, with no preference, for the 2019-2020 flu season.

What sickness is going around right now 2019?

2019-2020 Flu Season Among the many viruses we see causing respiratory illness right now, the influenza virus (commonly called "the flu") can be particularly severe. Infection with the influenza virus causes a sudden onset of fever, chills, dry cough, and muscle aches.

Has Flu Season 2019 peaked?

Between October 1, 2019, and December 7, 2019, there have been up to 3.7 million cases of the flu, between 23,000 to 41,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 1,300 to 3,300 flu-related deaths, according to the CDC . Health experts predict that flu activity may peak earlier than usual.

How well is the flu shot working this year?

Recent studies show flu vaccine can reduce the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well matched to the flu vaccine viruses.

What is the best flu vaccine for 2019?

Quadrivalent Flu Vaccines
Brand Age range Allergens
Fluzone Quadrivalent 6 months or older egg protein
Fluarix Quadrivalent 6 months or older egg protein
FluMist Quadrivalent 2-49 years egg protein
Flucelvax Quadrivalent 4 years or older none

What happens if you get a flu shot when you have a cold?

“It is generally safe to get a flu shot if you have a cold,” Lynch says. “The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu, nor can it give you any other infection. It can't make you get a cold, and it can't make your cold worse.”

What strain is the flu shot 2019?

According to the CDC, the 2019-2020 trivalent flu shot will contain the following strains of the flu virus: A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus — This is the H1N1 component that is different from last year's flu shot.

When should I get a flu shot 2019?

CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout flu season, even into January or later.

Is the flu shot dangerous?

Outlook for flu vaccines The flu vaccine is considered safe. You can't catch the flu from the vaccine, because the virus in the vaccine has been killed or weakened. The live vaccine isn't recommended for people with a weaker-than-normal immune system.

What are the side effects of this year's flu shot?

The most common side effects from flu shots are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches also may occur. If these reactions occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last 1-2 days.

Why you can't get the flu from a flu shot?

And just as the polio vaccine won't give a child polio, the flu vaccine will not cause the flu. That's because the flu vaccine is made with inactive strains of the flu virus, which are not capable of causing the flu. It is estimated that less than 2% of people who get a flu shot will develop a fever.

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