Every flu season we get the same question from some of our patients. “Do I actually NEED a flu shot?” The short answer is “yes”. In fact, if you want to stay healthy, there are many reasons for the whole family to get flu shots this season.
Reduce Hospitalization Risk
The biggest benefit of the flu shot is that it greatly reduces your risk of hospitalization due to the flu. This is more common than you might think. Flu shots reduce the number of people hospitalized with complications from the flu by tens of thousands every year. Seniors and children have to worry most about being hospitalized due to the flu, but working age adults can also end up dealing with some complications occasionally.
Prevents Serious Medical Events
Coming down with the flu can also lead to the development of more serious medical issues. Naturally this is a bigger problem for kids and seniors, but the flu can also cause complications for anyone living with some kind of chronic condition. If you’re obese or have diabetes, catching the flu can cause more health issues. If you have cancer, kidney disease, or asthma you also want to avoid the flu. The flu can be especially problematic for anyone suffering from heart disease, even more so if they’ve had a cardiac event in the last year.
Protects Women During and After Pregnancy
A flu vaccine can reduce a pregnant woman’s risk of hospitalization from flu complications by around forty percent. A flu shot can also help your baby because you pass on your antibodies to your child. If you are pregnant or only recently gave birth, getting a flu shot needs to be a priority.
A Vaccine Helps People Around You
Even if you’re not too worried about getting the flu, a flu shot helps the people around you. It protects seniors, children, and people with health conditions that could be exacerbated by the flu. That’s why getting the shot for the whole family is important.
Flu Viruses Change
You may wonder why you need a flu shot if you got one last year. Unfortunately, the flu virus itself can be a bit tricky. It evolves rapidly and new vaccines need to evolve to fight it each year. Don’t neglect the current flu shot just because you got it in the past.
Milder Symptoms
Some people don’t bother with the flu shot because they’ve gotten it in the past and ended up with the flu anyway. That can happen, but the flu shot is still worth getting. A shot can actually reduce the severity of the symptoms you experience. Coming down with the flu despite getting the shot is unfortunate, but you will end up bouncing back much faster!
Your Family Doctor in Matthews, NC
So if you want to make sure that the flu doesn’t ruin your winter, get the flu shot for yourself and encourage your family members to do the same. And if you have any other preventative medicine needs or you’re due for a checkup, come visit Matthews Internal Medicine or contact us to set up an appointment. We’ll help you stay healthy this season!