Flu germs are highly infectious and can be transmitted from one person to another by physical touch, sneezing, and coughing. So, getting flu shots is vital to protect yourself and your community from getting the flu. It saves the community from getting infected and reduces the chances of hospitalization. In this blog, you’ll get to know when you should get the flu shots and the benefits of flu shots. In this way, you’ll get to see the importance of flu shots.
When to get flu shots?
The seasonal flu shot is a safe and effective method to avoid the flu. The flu shot causes your body to produce antibodies against various influenza virus strains. These antibodies aid in protecting the body against flu, resulting in fewer cases of infected cases. According to medical science, a person should get flu shots by the end of October, before the flu begins to spread in their surroundings. However, people continue to take vaccination throughout the whole flu season. Flu shots and flu jabs are other names of influenza vaccines. The flu shots are effective for only one season. As per the doctor’s recommendation, everyone above six months should get flu shots annually.
Who must get a flu shot?
The following people are at high risk of getting the flu, so they should get flu shots as soon as possible:
- Pregnant Women
- Elderly People above 50
- Children below 5
Who should avoid getting a flu shot?
Flu vaccination is always safe and effective, but there are some exceptions, so these people should avoid getting flu shots:
- Children less than the age of six months
- People who have severe reactions after getting flu jabs
- Those who have allergies to egg or mercury
- People with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
From where you can get a flu shot?
Seasonal flu shots are widely accessible in doctor’s offices, primary care and urgent care clinics, health departments, college health centers, pharmacies, community health clinics, and via employer-sponsored programs. You can also contact us to get flu shots.
What are the benefits of flu shots?
For many people, the seasonal flu is a mild illness. But sometimes, the flu can be severe or even deadly. So, the seasonal flu shots are updated every year to keep up with the three virus strains that research predicts will be the most prevalent throughout the next flu season. There are the following benefits of flu shots:
i. Prevention from getting sick with flu
One of the benefits of flu shots is that it prevents millions of people from the illness every year, which reduces the number of flu-related doctor visits every year. As per CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention Center) report for the year 2019-2021, it has protected 7.5 million people from influenza, reduced up to 3.7 million medical visits, which are directly associated with flu, saved 105,000 people from getting hospitalized, and secure 6300 influenza-associated people from death.
ii. Benefits of flu shots for people with chronic lung diseases
People with chronic lung diseases must take flu shots every year because flu shots help to reduce hospitalization of patients with diabetes and chronic lung illness. For persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), flu shots also reduce cardiac attacks and asthma attacks during the flu season.
iii. Reduce the risk of hospitalization in children and adults
Flu shots reduced the risk of flu-associated admissions in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) by 74 % from 2010-2012. In 2018 according to research on adults, flu shots reduced the risk of flu-associated admissions in intensive care units (ICU) by 82%. Flu shots produce an immunization against influenza and other influenza-associated diseases. In addition, flu vaccination avoids the worsening of chronic health diseases.
iv. Benefits of flu shots for women during and after pregnancy
Women with pregnancy should get flu shots because flu shots reduce the risk of respiratory disorders. It is noticed that pregnant women who get flu shots have a lower risk of getting hospitalized due to flu-associated illness than women without flu vaccination.
v. Benefits of flu shots to protect your community
When you get the vaccination by flu shots, then you are not only protecting yourself against the flu virus; instead, you are also protecting people in your surroundings. Sometimes, you contact newborn babies and people who are not eligible to get flu shots, so if you’re vaccinated, you’re protecting them indirectly. This is called herd immunity, and this is an essential vital factor to fight against diseases.
The best answer to when to get flu shots is the month of October. All the people who can get flu shots should get them before spreading the virus in the community. Flu shots have many benefits for the individual who gets flu shots and those who contact those individuals. Flu shots reduce hospitalizations and prevent people from getting sick, but if they get sick, their symptoms are very mild and can be treated easily.
