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Why Should I Get the Flu Vaccine?

January 29, 2025 at 03:19 PM EST
By WeatherBug's Christopher Smith
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With the arrival of the colder weather comes a downside, the seasonal flu. Let’s look at why you should get a flu vaccine, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Seasonal influenza, often referred to as the flu, infects millions of people each year. Of those millions that become infected, hundreds of thousands will likely need hospital assistance. The surge in hospitalizations due to the flu can be crippling to hospitals that are already low on resources and full of patients due to COVID-19. It is crucial to get vaccinated in order to maximize resources for the coronavirus pandemic and avoid preventable illness from spreading among the population.

You may wonder if you got vaccinated last year why you need to get vaccinated again. The immunity your body gained last year for the flu has likely been severely depleted since the body’s immunity slowly degrades with time. There are also different strains of the flu that are present each year and research prior to the flu season dictates what vaccine may be formulated for a certain season.

There may be speculation that the flu vaccine may weaken your immune system and increase your exposure to COVID-19. Currently no evidence exists that the flu vaccine can increase the risk of contracting coronavirus; it only protects you from the flu.

Anyone older than 6 months without a severe vaccine allergy, such as severe egg allergy, should be vaccinated. The best time to get vaccinated is now, before the flu has widespread transmission in the community. If you are looking where to get vaccinated, most doctor’s offices, health departments, and even pharmacies offer the flu shot.

It is more important than ever before to get vaccinated for the flu this year. Make sure to get vaccinated as soon as possible to minimize the spread of the flu amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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Story Image: Get vaccinated for the flu this year (pixabay.com).

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