This post is a guest blog by Barbara A. Smith, RN, BSN, MPA, CIC, Nurse Epidemiologist at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.
Not sure if you need a flu vaccine? Not too long ago, the vaccine was only recommended for the elderly and people with high risk conditions like diabetes and asthma. In 2010, the CDC changed the recommendation to include anyone older than 6 months of age. While people with high risk medical conditions are more likely to suffer the severe complications of the flu like pneumonia and hospitalizations, anyone can get the flu and spread it to the more vulnerable people who live and work with them.
Each year in the United States, millions of people get the flu. During a bad season more than 40,000 victims die from it. In our area, most cases of flu occur in January and February so there is still time to get a vaccine and help reduce the number of cases and deaths. It will also help reduce the time away from work and school because of illness.
If you’re still not convinced, let’s look at the common excuses as to why people don’t want the flu vaccine:
1- “I’m afraid of needles’ – for people between the ages of 2 and 49, there’s a nasal spray version of the vaccine. And this year, one manufacturer is making a vaccine that goes into the skin instead of the muscle which means it’s a smaller needle. People from 18 – 64 years of age who don’t like needles can take this vaccine
2- “I don’t need the vaccine because I never get sick.” Unfortunately, people can have a mild case of the flu without realizing it. Because the virus can spread 2 days before symptoms until 5 days after the symptoms, you could spread the flu to people around you such as your newborn or grandma.
3- “That vaccine makes me sick.” The vaccine in the shot is a killed version of the flu so you can not get the flu from the shot. The nasal spray is a weakened version of the flu but can not give you the flu although you may have minimal symptoms like sniffles or headache.
Good for you if you’ve already received your vaccine. And if you haven’t, please check with your health care provider or call 311 for the closet Department of Health clinic.