Get Your Flu Shot!
By Erin Peters
Have you gotten your flu shot yet? If not, now is the time! We are getting into cold and flu season and it’s so important for you and your loved ones to cut back on viruses you’re exposed to this winter.
Why Get a Flu Shot?
A flu shot can help prevent your risk of illness, medical visits, and death related to influenza. According to the CDC, in 2018-2019 flu vaccination prevented over 4.4 million influenza illnesses, 2.3 million influenza-related medical visits, 58,000 hospitalizations related to influenza, and 3,500 influenza-related deaths. The CDC also stated that getting your flu shot during flu season decreases your risk to have to go to the doctor by 40-60%. Flu season starts mid-October and goes through the Winter.
If you have a pre-existing health condition, you are currently or recently have been pregnant, work with a high-risk category of people, or just want to keep yourself and others safe, a flu shot is the way to go. No matter how high-risk or healthy you are, you still should get one.
Studies have shown that if you get the flu shot and get sick later on with the flu, the illness is far less severe than it would have been without the shot. This means less doctor and hospital visits, less time off work, and less time feeling miserable!
In a time like this with a global pandemic, it is important now more than ever to get a flu shot. Influenza symptoms are very similar to COVID-19 symptoms. Both illnesses will likely spread during this Fall and Winter. Healthcare systems are overwhelmed treating patients with COVID-19, and the resources that they need to help treat people are not endless. Getting your flu shot is so important so that if or when you get sick, essential medical resources are going to those who need it the most and you don’t get an incorrect diagnosis. Do your part and get your flu shot!
Where Can I Get a Flu Shot?
If you have a checkup coming up this winter you can kill two birds with one stone and get your flu shot then. If not, stop by any pharmacy in town and ask to get one. It’s quick, easy, and affordable. Usually, insurance will cover most or all of it.
Fred Meyer, Safeway, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Bi-Mart pharmacies are all open and ready to administer shots here in The Dalles. Stop in and get it done for you and your family members. The CDC recommends people 6 months and older to get their flu shots every year, no matter how healthy you are.
Image From Southdale OBGYN: Check Out the Facts vs. Myths about Flu Shots
Are There Risks of Getting a Flu Shot?
Not really! The CDC states that you cannot get sick from a flu vaccine because you are not getting the live virus. These vaccines are made with inactivated (killed) virus, and therefore you cannot get the flu from getting the shot. You may experience some soreness, redness, swelling, headache, or low-grade fever immediately after the shot, but that usually goes away within a day or two, and it rarely occurs.
When Should I Get a Flu Shot?
Right now! Professionals recommend mid to late October is a good time to get your flu shot. Cold and flu season is just getting started, so you should get on top of it now and protect yourself and others around you from the influenza virus. Remember, you still need to be social distancing, washing your hands for twenty seconds, avoiding touching your face, and making smart and healthy decisions even after getting a flu shot. Make a plan and go get your flu shot this week!
