Why People Should Get a Flu Shot
Delayed Effectiveness
The flu vaccine doesn't work right away. It takes about two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for our bodies to develop antibodies, which protect us against flu virus infection if we are exposed. This is why getting flu shots now is better than waiting for an epidemic to hit the community. It's also why some people think the flu shot gave them the flu.
2 Doses for Young Kids
Children from 6 months to 8 years old who are getting a flu shot for the first time need two doses of the flu vaccine for it to be fully effective. If it's not their first time, one dose is all they need. If your child needs two doses, starting earlier is better: The CDC recommends waiting 28 days after the first dose to get the second dose. But even if you're starting out late, it's important to take young children in for shots, since they are particularly vulnerable to complications from the flu.
Under 6 months
Children under 6 months old should not receive a flu vaccine. Parents should be careful about contact with other children and sick adults during flu season. And they should make sure any caretakers or visitors have been immunized against the seasonal flu. They should also push hand-washing like crazy.
Only Needles This Year
The CDC is recommending against the nasal spray this year and instead asking health clinics and doctors to offer one of the several available kinds of injection vaccines.
Seriously, Every Year?
Yes, we need flu shots every year because the virus is always changing. Moreover, flu shots guard against several different strains of flu viruses, ones that international health experts have deemed will be the predominant flu virus of the season. Sometimes, the predicted strain is the one we're protected against; other times, it's another that is the more widely spread. However, even getting vaccinated against the less common one helps protect against other strains and may lessen the effects of whatever flu virus has made you sick.
Protection Beyond the Flu
There's some evidence that flu vaccines help people who have chronic health conditions. Flu vaccination has been associated with "lower rates of some cardiac (heart) events among people with heart disease, especially among those who experienced a cardiac event in the past year," according to the CDC. It has also been shown to reduce hospitalizations among diabetics and those with some lung illnesses.
