The flu is a nasty bug that puts people in the hospital every year. Do you have your facts straight when it comes to this virus? Dr. James Cantorna offers four tips on separating flu fact from flu fiction.
1. The flu shot can give you the flu. Not true says Dr. Cantorna. “The flu shot does not contain a live virus so it is impossible to get the flu from the flu shot. People can experience soreness or irritation from the shot, which is oftentimes confused for the flu.”
2. My whole family got the flu shot and we all ended up with the stomach flu anyway. “The flu shot does not protect against the stomach flu. The flu shot only protects against influenza caused by the RNA virus and is not related to gastroenteritis, which is commonly referred to as the stomach flu.”
3. Flu shots can’t be accurate because they don’t know what type of flu will be bad each year. “Experts from national and international organizations study virus samples throughout the year to create a vaccine that offers protection against three strains of flu that have been identified as being the worst threat for the coming year. Typically, the flu shot is about 62 percent effective. While it’s not perfect, not getting vaccinated means you have zero protection.”
4. It’s too late to get a flu shot. “There is still time to get a flu shot because we have approximately six weeks left in the flu season. If you haven’t gotten a flu shot, I recommend getting one today.”
For more information, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10331187.htm
