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medpundit |
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Monday, October 13, 2003One of the most common reasons for not getting the flu shot that I hear from my patients is the "Last year, I got the shot and got the flu a few days later," argument. The implication is that 1) the shot didn't work, or 2) the shot gave them the flu. The shot is a killed virus, so you can't get the flu from it. It does take a few weeks to achieve maximum immunity after getting the shot, however, so if you come down with a true case of influenza a few days after the shot, you were just unfortunate enough to get exposed before the shot could protect you. That's why it's important to get the shot in the fall, before influenza peaks (usually in December, January, or February.) There's also a host of viruses other than influenza that cause "flu-like illnesses." The shot only protects against influenza. So, again, a fever, muscle aches, and runny nose after the shot, even if it is a few weeks later, doesn't necessarily mean that the shot failed. You could have just been unfortunate enough to catch a different, but similar, bug. So, take Fumento's advice and get the shot, especially if you have a medical condition puts you at risk, or if you're over sixty-five. (Click here for more information) posted by Sydney on 10/13/2003 08:04:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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