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Mission: To save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza.

Flu Facts vs. Fiction

Myth #1: You can get flu from the flu vaccine.

FALSE – This is impossible. The flu vaccine contains viruses different than the ones that make you sick, so it cannot give you the flu. The vaccine teaches your body how to fight off the flu if you do get sick.

 

Myth #2: The flu is just a bad cold.

FALSE – The flu can be serious, causing complications and attacking other organs in the body. On average, over 400,000 people are hospitalized with the flu every year.

Myth #3: The side effects of the vaccine are worse than the flu itself.

FALSE – The flu can last on average 3-7 days and could put you in the hospital. Some people die from the flu. The side effects of the flu vaccine are mild - such as some redness and slight swelling at the site of injection, headache, low-grade fever - and don't last as long as having flu illness.

 

Myth #4: Taking vitamin C, Echinacea or elderberry will prevent flu.

FALSE – There is no conclusive evidence that these treatments are effective at preventing or treating the flu. Annual flu vaccination is the best preventative measure you can take to protect yourself and your family from flu. People who are vaccinated have a reduced risk of flu illness, flu hospitalization, and flu death.

 

Myth #5: Getting a flu vaccine every year isn’t necessary.

FALSE – Because flu viruses are constantly changing, flu vaccines are updated from one season to the next to protect against the most recent and most common circulating flu strains. This is why it is recommended that individuals get a flu vaccine every year. In addition, a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so getting a new shot each year offers the best protection.

 

Myth #6: Healthy people don’t need a flu vaccine.

FALSE – Everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated against the flu every year. The flu can be potentially serious, even deadly, for anyone, regardless of age or health status.

 

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