Healthy Living

Stay flu-free with the facts: 3 myths to set straight

Fact: You should get a flu shot.

With flu season around the corner, it’s time to take the necessary steps to stay healthy. One step is separating myths about the flu from the facts.

“When caring for patients, we strive to deliver patient-centered care every time,” said Dr. Ashley Saucier, a primary care physician at Augusta University Family Medicine. “This means sharing the most up-to-date evidence about a treatment and letting you decide what is best for you.”

MYTH: Getting a flu shot is all you need to do to protect yourself from the flu.
FACT: Being vaccinated can’t guarantee that you won’t get the flu. You should take additional steps to protect yourself, such as avoiding people who have the flu, washing your hands often and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to support your immune system. That includes eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep and managing stress.

MYTH: A flu shot can give you the flu.
FACT: No, a flu vaccine can’t cause flu illness. The flu shot is made from either “inactivated” viruses that aren’t infectious or no viruses at all. People who develop flu-like symptoms after receiving a flu shot were going to get sick anyway. Their illness is not a result of having received the vaccine.

MYTH: You should wait to get vaccinated so your immunity lasts through the end of flu season.
FACT: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that flu vaccination begin soon after the vaccine becomes available, if possible by October. Immunity lasts through a full flu season for most people. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating, it’s not too late to get vaccinated, even in January or later.

“Remember, prevention is the best medicine.”
–Ashley Saucier, MD

Fact: You should get a flu shot.

Augusta University Care Centers are right in your community with teams of skilled primary care and specialty care doctors. Make an appointment at our Family Medicine clinic or at one of our care centers today, visit augustahealth.org, or call 706-721-2273 (CARE).

* People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs, as well as certain other individuals, should not be vaccinated without first talking to their doctors.

About the author

Augusta University Health

Based in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta University Health is a world-class health care network, offering the most comprehensive primary, specialty and subspecialty care in the region. Augusta University Health provides skilled, compassionate care to its patients, conducts leading-edge clinical research and fosters the medical education and training of tomorrow’s health care practitioners. Augusta University Health is a not-for-profit corporation that manages the clinical operations associated with Augusta University.