It’s flu season, and while you already know the basic rules of flu prevention, there’s one common sticking point—the flu vaccine.
The new one is here, and here’s the thing: you should get it.
There really isn’t any argument against getting it that makes sense.
Last year’s vaccine was particularly ineffective, due to the fact that an unpredictable strain showed up after the vaccine was already made.
However, one off year should not discourage the public from getting their flu shots, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still hold that it’s the best way to protect against the flu.
This year, the strains in the vaccine appear to be pretty well matched to those appearing in the environment. Of course, there’s no way to fully predict how effective the flu vaccine will be.
While this doesn’t sound particularly encouraging, it’s important to keep in mind that 24,000 Americans die every year from the flu.
Last year, the highest rates of vaccination were among children 6 to 23 months old, at 75 percent. That’s the public health goal for all age groups. Adults over 65 followed shortly after.
The least likely? Adults from the ages of 18 to 49.
This is a problem, since even if the healthy get the virus and fight it off without symptoms, they can still spread it to others. And some flu virus strains can take anyone down.
So if you’re debating whether or not to get you or your children vaccinated, just do it. Even if you still get sick, you will have had the extra protection.
