Cold and flu season is here—and that means there are tons of flu facts in the media, on social media and elsewhere. Unfortunately, myths and half-truths about the flu are passed around every year, too—and it doesn’t help that this year there a handful of COVID-related myths, too! You may have heard all kinds of rumors about the flu shot, for example—how, why, when it works, and who should (or shouldn’t) get it. It can be hard to separate flu facts from fiction, so we did the research for you. Here’s the truth about nine common seasonal influenza myths:
Myth: You don’t need a flu shot every year.
Fact: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receive a flu vaccination every year. Viruses constantly change and the vaccine is updated each year to fight strains expected to be most prevalent.
Myth: All flu is the same.
Fact: Flu may vary among individuals. Some people get mild cases while others get much more severe cases and develop life-threatening complications. There’s often a mentality that the flu is just the flu, but people die from complications, notes Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and past-president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
Myth: Pregnant women should not get flu vaccinations.
Fact: The CDC and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant women get vaccinated because they are at higher risk for developing flu-related complications. “In addition to protecting the mother, it also helps protect the baby during the first six months of life when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves,” Schaffner says.
Myth: Flu is a winter illness.
Fact: February is usually the peak of flu season, but seasonal flu outbreaks can start in October. That’s one reason experts suggest getting vaccinated as early as possible. You can also get the flu well into spring if it’s still circulating in your community.
Myth: The vaccine can give you the flu.
Fact: It’s just not possible, says Schaffner. It is possible, however, that your body may mount a temporary response to the vaccination that could include a little achiness or even a low fever. But it is not the flu.
Myth: The flu vaccine is 100 percent effective.
Fact: Overall, it’s somewhere around 60-65 percent effective. But it’s still the best choice, notes Dr. Aaron Glatt, a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “You will have a lower chance of getting the flu, and you will have a lower chance of getting a severe case of the flu.”
Myth: Only children can get a nasal spray vaccine.
Fact: This vaccine is approved for healthy people age 2 to 49 who aren’t pregnant. The CDC notes that the nasal spray vaccine is preferred for children age 2 to 8 who don’t have any underlying medical conditions, but vaccination should not be delayed if nasal spray is not immediately available.
Myth: The flu vaccine gives you instant immunity.
Fact: It takes about two weeks to get full protection from the flu vaccine. It’s possible to get the flu in the interim if you’re exposed to it because the vaccine hasn’t taken its full effect.
Myth: Only people with symptoms can spread the flu.
Fact: “You can still transmit or spread the flu virus to others, even though you are not very sick or perhaps not sick at all,” says Dr. Schaffner. Up next, Here’s What to Eat When You Have the Flu
