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MISCONCEPTIONS KEEP MANY FROM GETTING ANNUAL FLU SHOT
Cold weather brings the flu virus, which is easily spread when someone infected coughs or sneezes. Yet despite the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, many are still hesitant to get the shot.
David R. Smith, M.D., president of Texas Tech Medical Center, said there are many misconceptions when it comes to the flu vaccine. "Many people think the flu vaccine somehow can cause the flu," he said. "But it is actually scientifically impossible for that to happen because the flu vaccine is created from inactivated or killed viruses that cannot infect you."
Smith said another misconception is that the vaccine isn't effective. "First and foremost, flu kills. And in some years in this country and across the world, it kills hundreds of thousands of people," he said.
"It is effective in 70 to 90 percent of the individuals that are immunized with this vaccine, and that's very good," he continued. "In addition, for people with chronic lung diseases and the elderly, it is particularly important to prevent complications such as pneumonia and other life threatening serious conditions."
The flu leads to about 20,000 deaths and 110,000 hospitalizations a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And Smith said in epidemic years of the flu it becomes the greatest killer on the globe, surpassing other diseases such as malaria, cholera and tuberculosis that occur in third-world countries.
Though some shortages of the flu vaccine have been reported, CDC health officials said enough is available to meet the expected annual demand.
"The very best time to get a flu vaccine is when youÕre thinking about it, right now," Smith said. "The ideal time is October through mid-November. But anytime during flu season is better than not getting immunized at all."
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