To flu or not to flu, that is the question!

Flu season is upon us (does it ever leave?)! With that, I wanted to give you some up to date information on Mr. Flu shot before you head out and get the injection.  This information is in no way a maneuver to sway you from your current position.  I am not here to change your mind or to tell you whether you and your family should or should not get the flu vaccine.  That is a personal decision for you and your family to make.  I know you’re asking yourself………………WELL COME ON, DO YOU OR DON’T YOU? I do not get the Flu vaccine, nor do my kids.  My wife and I make our decision on a year by year basis.  Have our children received other vaccinations?..............Yes (intriguing), but that is a newsletter for another day ☺.

Top 10 things you should know about the Flu and its vaccination.

1. Up to 50,000 people a year die from the Flu.  On average that is more than Ebola!
2. A flu shot does sorta, kinda, in a roundaboutish way give you the flu. Vaccines, like the flu shot contain a teensy eensy amount of killed or weakened flu strains that are handpicked as the ones (often they are wrong) that will be common for the year. This causes your body to make antibodies that will fight off the germs next time you’re exposed.
3. If you are going to get the flu shot, get it early in the season…….like now!  It takes a full two weeks for protection to kick in (That means you can still get the flu within that two week period).
4. You can feel flu-ish after getting a flu shot!  Don’t let them tell you different. You can or may experience flu-like symptoms after the shot – achiness, or tenderness are common and some people who get the nasal spray version report a sore throat or stuffy nose.
5. Take extra precautions if you have egg allergies. The antibodies in the standard flu shot are made using a virus grown in eggs.  Non egg versions are available, just ask.
6. Ever wonder how they make the flu shot? Well here ya go. The flu shot begins its life every year in February. This is the month that popular strains of the flu virus are collected. The viruses are injected into millions of fertilized eggs, and allowed to incubate and grow. The infected fluid (never said it was pretty) is harvested, purified, and tested for safety before coming to a CVS near you.
   7.Only about 20% of “flus” are actually caused by the two main influenza strains included in the flu vaccine. What does that mean? It means that there are roughly 200 bugs floating in the stratosphere that can make you sick – of which the flu shot is helpless against.
   8.Any small genetic changes can make a flu strain JUST different enough that your body doesn’t recognize it from the vaccine. BUMMER. This is what happened last year when there was very little protection. CDC feels this year will be different (I’m not sure what else they are supposed to say………we blew it last year and expect the same this year??)
   9.Not showing any symptoms? Don’t’ feel sick? You can spread the flu anyway. Being infected won’t always cause symptoms like sneezing, coughing, and running a fever.
   10.Here’s an interesting one……Skipping a year might be preferable? Weirdly, some research shows that getting a flu shot two years in a row actually decreases vaccine effectiveness.

There you have it.  The quick 101 on our friend the flu vaccine.  Whether you decide to get one or not, your best course of action is prevention.  Wash your hands…OFTEN! Did you know that public handrail you just grabbed?  It’s dirtier than a toilet and is like shaking hands with 10,000 people (I hear the fist bump is making a strong return).  Hmmmmm…where have all their hands been?! One can’t even imagine.

At that this time of year I hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday. Please know that it is an honor for me to work with each and everyone of you, and I wish you nothing but the best during the holiday (the rest of the year too) season.