Flu season rolls around every year, affecting 51 million people in the United States. The CDC recommends a flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions. However, many people ask the same question: “Do I really need a flu shot?”
At Keven Tagdiri, MD, in Encinitas, California, we often hear this question, especially from patients who rarely get sick or who’ve had mild flu symptoms in the past. The short answer is yes; for most people, a yearly flu shot makes good sense.
It doesn’t guarantee you won’t get the flu, but it lowers your risk of illness and helps reduce the chance of severe symptoms, complications, missed work, and hospitalization.
The CDC also notes that flu vaccination matters most for people at higher risk of serious flu complications, including older adults, pregnant women, young children, and those with certain chronic health conditions.
Even if you don’t fit in one of these categories, you could pass the virus on to someone who is, unless you’re vaccinated.
Many people use the words “cold” and “flu” as if they mean the same thing. They don’t.
A cold typically causes mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, congestion, and fatigue. The flu often hits harder and faster. It commonly causes:
Some people feel wiped out for weeks after a bout of flu. If you’ve had the flu, you won’t confuse it with a cold again.
For healthy adults, the flu typically improves with rest, fluids, and time. However, it still disrupts daily life. You likely miss work, can’t complete regular activities, and struggle to care for your family or even yourself.
For some people, the flu creates serious risks. It can:
Women who are pregnant or people who have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, or weakened immune systems also face higher risks.
The flu shot teaches your immune system to recognize flu viruses. After vaccination, your body takes about two weeks to build stronger protection. That’s why we recommend getting vaccinated before flu activity rises in the community.
The flu vaccine changes each year because flu viruses change. Scientists update the vaccine to target the strains they expect to spread during the coming season.
Even when the vaccine doesn’t perfectly match the circulating viruses, it still helps. People who get vaccinated and still catch the flu often have milder symptoms. The vaccine also reduces flu-related doctor visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Adults age 65 and older often benefit from specific flu vaccines designed to create a stronger immune response. The CDC lists high-dose, recombinant, and adjuvanted flu vaccines as preferred choices for this age group when available.
Some people skip the flu shot because they rarely get sick. That’s understandable, but past luck doesn’t guarantee future protection. Flu viruses vary, and your immune system changes over time.
You also don’t live in a bubble. You interact with co-workers, family members, neighbors, and people at stores, schools, and clinics. You could spread the flu before you realize you’re sick.
Getting vaccinated helps protect people around you, especially babies, older relatives, pregnant loved ones, and those with weak immune systems. For them, the flu doesn’t always mean a few rough days. It could mean a hospital stay or worse.
No, the flu shot doesn’t give you the flu. Injectable flu vaccines contain inactivated virus or no virus at all, depending on the vaccine type. They can’t cause flu infection.
Some people catch another respiratory virus around the time of their vaccination and assume the shot caused it. Timing can fool us, especially during fall and winter when many viruses circulate.
You might experience mild side effects after a flu jab, such as arm soreness, fatigue, headache, or a low-grade fever. These symptoms usually fade quickly and simply mean your immune system is responding.
September and October work well for most adults. However, flu vaccination still helps later in the season if flu viruses continue to spread. Don’t skip it just because autumn has passed.
A flu shot is a simple step that helps protect your health and the people you care about. Call Keven Tagdiri, MD, today to schedule your flu jab or discuss other preventive care strategies.
