October is here, and that means it’s the perfect time to get your flu shot if you haven’t gotten one already!
You may have some questions about flu shots during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, I’ll address frequently asked questions about the flu shot but if I miss your question, let me know in the comments!
First, it’s more important than ever before to get a flu shot this year. Influenza is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Every year, tens of millions of Americans get sick with influenza, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized and tens of thousands of Americans die from influenza.
This past spring, U.S. hospitals and healthcare systems were overwhelmed by people sick with COVID-19. Public health and medical experts are expecting another heavy wave of COVID-19 this fall and winter. In fact, case counts are showing what appears to be the start of a new peak, coinciding with the traditional start of influenza season.
In short, you don’t want to need to be hospitalized, for any reason, during the next wave of COVID-19. Not only will hospitals likely be overcrowded and stretched thin, but you would be at risk of being exposed to COVID-19 while you are already sick. Getting your flu shot helps keep you safe and reduces your risk of being in the hospital this fall and winter.
Additionally, the groups of people at high risk for the flu and at high risk for COVID-19 overlap. We don’t yet know whether people infected with both the flu and COVID-19 have more severe disease, but it makes logical sense that having two infections in the same season is risky.
Does the flu shot really work? Yes, it does. The flu shot is not perfect, it’s true. But it’s the best tool available to prevent the flu. Over the last several seasons, the flu shot has been about 30-60% effective in preventing infection. Choosing not to get a flu shot is 0% effective against the flu.
More significantly, the flu vaccine is even more effective in preventing severe side effects of influenza than it is at preventing overall infections. One study estimated that the flu shot reduced the risk of being hospitalized by 37% and reduced the risk of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission by 82%. A 2017 study found that the flu shot reduced the risk of death among children by 65%. The CDC estimates that last year’s flu shot prevented nearly 4 million healthcare visits, over 100,000 hospitalizations and over 6000 deaths. In other words, even if you or your children do get influenza, it is likely to be milder if you got your flu shot that season.
Do I need a flu shot if I’m wearing a mask? Yes, you still do. Face masks do help to stop the spread of COVID-19 and probably help stop the spread of the flu, but they’re one out of several tools needed to keep us safe, not the only one. Do you choose not to buckle your seat belt when you’re sitting in a seat that has an airbag? More analogously, did you stop washing your hands and telling your kids to wash theirs when you started wearing masks this year? I hope that your answer to both questions was a resounding NO. We don’t have a vaccine against COVID-19 yet, but we do have an effective vaccine against the flu. Why settle for only one protective measure when there are others available? Get your flu shot, wear your mask, wash your hands and surfaces regularly, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and stay away from sick people. Choose all of these preventive actions, not just one or two.
Can I catch the flu from the shot? No, it’s not possible. The flu shot is made from a weakened version of the flu that can’t infect you.
However, some people get fevers, muscle aches or headaches after a flu shot; these are common reactions after any shot and not signs of infection. In fact, a fever is an important part of the immune response – it’s a sign that the vaccine is helping your body develop an immune response.
Finally, it’s true that some people truly do get sick after getting a flu shot. This is because doctors, nurses and pharmacists give flu shots during cold and flu season. If someone gets the flu less than 2 weeks after a flu shot, then it’s likely they were already infected before they got their shot and would have gotten it anyway. If they get a cold after a flu shot then they would have gotten it anyway because the flu shot can’t prevent colds. And yes, some proportion of people who get flu shots will get the flu anyway, but in most cases it is milder than the flu is in people who didn’t get their shot.
Will the flu shot prevent COVID-19? Unfortunately, no. The flu shot is only effective against the 3 or 4 strains of flu in this year’s shot, but not against other viruses like COVID-19 or the common cold. However, it will lower your risk of flu infection, which means you will hopefully spend less time in doctor’s offices, urgent care or the hospital during the next wave of COVID-19.
Do I really need a flu shot if I’m young and healthy? Yes, everyone needs a flu shot. Even young and healthy people can get severely ill from the flu. Last season, 7% of adults and nearly half of children hospitalized with influenza had no known risk factors. Don’t take a chance on your or your kids being the unlucky previously-healthy people who get a severe flu infection.
Do you have other questions or concerns that I haven’t addressed? Please let me know in the comments!
Stay well, keep wearing those masks, and schedule your and your kids’ flu shots if you haven’t already,
💉 Dr. B