Myth Busting the Flu Vaccine

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Minute Clinic flu shots

Last year, I caught a really bad cold in the winter. I was achy, stuffy, feverish, you name it. I worked from home a few times and even took a day or two off. Did my wife sympathize? Sure, for about a day.

Then she rolled her eyes and continued repeating that men are basically useless when they get sick. I have a feeling she’s not alone in that thinking. “You’ve got a cold and you’re acting like it’s the flu or something,” she’d say.

Well, as it turns out… I did have the flu! So there! To her credit, she did feel bad at that point, for at least another day or two.

Anyways, let me tell you first hand that getting the flu stinks. Big time. You feel like you’ve got a bowling ball in your head and every part of your body is just sore and tired.

I’m sure I’ve had the flu a number of other times in my life but it’d been a real long time since I can remember having it. I’ve been getting flu shots every single year for, geez, well over a decade or two. I even got one last year, but apparently it didn’t work. (Or I didn’t get it early enough.) I guess one time out of 20 or so is pretty good odds.

Lots of people I know think you can actually get the flu from the flu vaccine. But apparently that’s just a myth. Check out the truth behind a few of these flu-related myths, courtesy of CVS MinuteClinic:

Flu Vaccination: Myth Busting!

I only need to be vaccinated once. MYTH! A new flu vaccine is developed each year to fight the strains that are most likely to be prevalent for the season, so it’s important to get your flu shot each year.

People start getting sick once cold weather hits, so it’s too early to get my shot. MYTH! The CDC recommends to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available, ideally by October (outbreaks can happen before Halloween!). It takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop in your body to provide protection, so it’s not too soon.

I’ve heard you can get sick from a flu shot. MYTH! It’s actually impossible, since the vaccine is made from an inactivated (dead!) virus, so it cannot give you the flu. If you get flu-like symptoms after getting your flu shot, it’s likely that you were exposed to the flu after you got vaccinated but before the vaccine took effect, which can be up to two weeks.

So will I get a shot this year? Absolutely. And I think it’s awesome that these days there are so many options available to get your flu shot. For someone like me who works long hours in the city (with a long commute), just finding the time or place to get a flu shot can be… well, painful.

Luckily CVS MinuteClinic offers flu shots to patients 18 months and older. They accept most health insurance plans (including Medicare Plan B).

And as a bonus, anyone who gets a flu shot at CVS/pharmacy or MinuteClinic will receive a 20% off CVS/pharmacy Shopping Pass! Now is that worth giving it a shot?

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8 thoughts on “Myth Busting the Flu Vaccine”

  1. I work at a hospital, and I really believe it is so so important to get your flu shot. I know people have different beliefs, but I believe that it is very IMPORTANT.

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  2. Great information! I actually believed in Myth #2 prior to reading this. I’ve only gotten the flu once and it was the one time I decided not to get the vaccine that year. Bad choice. It was the worse feeling ever. Now I get vaccinated every year and everyone should too.

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  3. There are a lot of people out there spreading misinformation about vaccines. There are scientists who work on these treatments for many years and they know what they’re doing. Science beats opinion.

    People should get vaccines. It’s a cheap, modern way to protect your health. Simple stuff.

    Reply
  4. I get my flu shot free from my employer which is great. My daughter got her vaccine last week but opted for the mist versus the shot. Don’t blame her but I didn’t get the option.

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  5. Yeah, I put it off this year. I too have heard a lot of bad stuff about it. I was gonna talk to my doctor first. These days the flu is the least of my worries with all the other worse stuff out there.

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  6. I got my flu shot about three weeks ago. I get one every year and haven’t had the flu for over 20 years. I hope my good streak continues!

    Reply

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