Fall is Flu Shot time!
Have you gotten yours yet?
Flu Shot facts:
- Influenza and pneumonia combined are the sixth leading cause of death, and influenza causes 100-150,000 hospitalizations per year.
- Flu is associated with 20-40,000 deaths per year, 90% of which are people age 65 or older
- The vaccine is 70-90% effective when it matches the circulating strains
- It takes about two weeks to reach peak immunity, and lasts through the entire flu season.
- It is impossible to get the flu from the shot
- There is plenty of vaccine to go around for everybody this year
- The best time to get it is late October- early November (NOW)!
- Flu can kill, but you barely feel the shot.
- There are very, very few people that cannot get the shot
a. People with a true egg allergy, not just an upset stomach
b. People with severe hypersensitivity to thimerosal
c. People with a life-threatening illness. A cold or other mild sickness should not prevent you from getting the vaccine.
- People with a prior previous reaction to the shot
Who should get the shot?
ü People aged 65 or older
ü All Nursing Home or long-term care residents
ü Health care workers
ü Women in 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy
ü All people with chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes
ü Family members of or those who work in close contact with high-risk individuals
Even if you think of yourself as healthy, if you are a member of one of the above high-risk groups, the complications of getting the flu are increased.
Do you have questions about flu shots or treating flu symptoms? One of our pharmacists will be happy to help you.