32 Myths About The Flu Vaccine You Don't Need To Fear
Joseph Robert gets a flu shot at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston during the Falls and Flu Prevention Day, sponsored by the National Council on Aging and Sanofi Pasteur, on Sept. 26, 2013. Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Images for National Council on Aging and Sanofi Pasteur hide caption
Joseph Robert gets a flu shot at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston during the Falls and Flu Prevention Day, sponsored by the National Council on Aging and Sanofi Pasteur, on Sept. 26, 2013.
Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Images for National Council on Aging and Sanofi PasteurBrace yourselves: Flu season is coming. And along with the coughing, fevers and aches, you can expect a lot of unreliable or downright wrong information about the flu vaccine.
Many people underestimate the health risks from flu. Thousands of Americans die from flu-related complications in a typical year, and last season's H1N1 strain hit young adults particularly hard.
Flu and pneumonia combined consistently rank among the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was ranked eighth in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available.
Getting a shot (or an immunizing spritz up the nose) isn't a perfect defense against flu. Some years the strains used to make vaccines aren't a good match for the type of flu that eventually strikes. But vaccination remains the most reliable way to reduce the risk for illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older gets vaccinated against flu every year, with rare exceptions, such as those with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine ingredients or potentially those with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome following a previous flu shot.
The options for the flu vaccine this year include a shot that protects against the three different flu strains the World Health Organization predicts will be circulating. There are also shots that include protection against four strains. And adults ages 65 and have the option to get a high-dose flu shot, yet another variation.
Traditionally, flu vaccines have been made using chicken eggs, but new technologies have led to two relatively new vaccines without a trace of egg.
The nasal spray uses four live flu virus strains that have been weakened. The CDC recommends kids ages 2 to 8 get the spray instead of the shot when available, though healthy adults up to age 49 can also get the spray. The live-flu vaccine isn't recommended for pregnant women, older adults and people whose immune systems are compromised.
Now is when doctor's offices, drugstores and many companies offer vaccinations in preparation for the upcoming flu season, which typically lasts from October to April.
So it seemed like the right time to round up a list of common misconceptions about the flu vaccine and some information to set them straight.
Each fact links to a more detailed explanation on Red Wine and Applesauce, a blog where I write about parenting, health and science. Those posts contain links to peer-reviewed research and other sources.
If you have specific questions about vaccination, including which type of vaccine is appropriate for you, consult your doctor or other health professional.
Myth #1: You should fear Ebola more than the flu.
Fact: Flu kills more people in a year in the U.S. than Ebola has killed in the history of the world.
Myth #2: You don't need the flu vaccine this year if you got it last year.
Myth #3: The flu shot is a "one size fits all" approach that doesn't make sense for everyone.
Myth #4: The flu shot makes some people able to only walk backward.
Myth #5: Deaths from the flu are exaggerated.
Myth #6: The flu vaccine can give you the flu.
Myth #7: Flu vaccines contain dangerous ingredients, such as mercury, formaldehyde and antifreeze.
Myth #8: Pregnant women shouldn't get the flu vaccine.
Myth #9: Flu vaccines can cause Alzheimer's disease.
Myth #10: Pharmaceutical companies make a massive profit off flu vaccines.
Fact: They're a tiny source of profit and are made by only a handful of companies.
Myth #11: Flu vaccines don't work.
Fact: Flu vaccines reduce the risk of flu, though their effectiveness in any particular year varies.
Myth #12: Flu vaccines don't work for children.
Fact: Flu vaccines effectively reduce the risk of flu for children ages 6 months and up.
Myth #13: Flu vaccines make it easier for people to catch pneumonia or other infectious diseases.
Myth #14: Flu vaccines cause heart problems and strokes.
Fact: Flu shots reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.
Myth #15: Flu vaccines can damage a protective barrier between the blood and the brain in young children, hindering their development.
Fact: Flu vaccines have been found safe for children 6 months and older.
Myth #16: Flu vaccines cause narcolepsy.
Myth #17: The flu vaccine weakens your body's immune response.
Myth #18: The flu vaccine causes nerve disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Myth #19: The flu vaccine can cause neurological disorders.
Myth #20: Influenza isn't that bad. Or, people recover quickly from it.
Myth #21: People don't die from the flu unless they have another underlying condition already.
Myth #22: People with egg allergies can't get vaccinated against flu.
Myth #23: If I get the flu, antibiotics will help me get better.
Fact: Antibiotics can't treat a viral infection.
Myth #24: The flu shot doesn't work for me, personally, because last time I got it, I got the flu anyway.
Myth #25: I never get the flu, so I don't need the shot.
Fact: You can't predict whether you'll get the flu.
Myth #26: I can protect myself from the flu by eating right and washing my hands regularly.
Myth #27: It's OK if I get the flu because it will make my immune system stronger.
Myth #28: If I do get the flu, I'll just stay home so I'm not infecting others.
Fact: You can transmit the flu without showing symptoms.
Myth #29: Making a new vaccine each year only makes influenza strains stronger.
Fact: There's no evidence flu vaccines have a major effect on virus mutations.
Myth #30: The side effects of the flu shot are worse than the flu.
Myth #31: The "stomach flu" is the flu.
Fact: The stomach flu refers to a variety of gastrointestinal illnesses unrelated to influenza.
Myth #32: If you haven't gotten a flu shot by November, there's no point in getting one.
Fact: Getting the flu shot any time during flu season will reduce your risk of getting the flu.
Editor's note 3:08 p.m.: The response to Myth #8 was reworded to make clearer that vaccination against flu lowers a pregnant woman's risk of miscarriage.
Tara Haelle is a freelance health and science writer based in Peoria, Ill. She's on Twitter: @tarahaelle
Correction Oct. 11, 2014
An earlier version of this post said that a high-dose flu shot is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for older adults. The shot is an option, but the CDC hasn't expressed a preference for it over the standard shot.
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