THE FLU SHOT Its SCIENCE The Flu Shot

THE FLU SHOT It's SCIENCE! The Flu Shot Myths: Questions & Answers

Q: I've heard the vaccine contains things like mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde. Aren't those things dangerous? In uncontrolled, large amounts, exposure to these elements a n d chemicals could be dangerous. In the flu vaccine, there are trace a m o u n t s of these chemicals p u t in the original vaccine formula to stabilize a n d kill the live virus. This formula is diluted m a n y times, so t h a t only very tiny a m o u n t s of these chemicals remain. The FDA keeps track of the a m o u n t s of chemicals contained in vaccines to keep t h e m a t safe levels. Reports of adverse effects to vaccines are available publicly a t https: //vaers. hhs. gov/index. html Things like deodorant, shampoo, m a k e - u p , a n d even some prepackaged foods have higher levels of a l u m i n u m a n d formaldehyde t h a n the flu vaccine!

Q: Why does the flu shot always give me the flu? The particles of flu virus contained in the flu are inactivated. There is no live virus it is scientifically impossible to get the flu from the flu shot. BUT! A normal, healthy i m m u n e system will m o u n t a n i m m u n e response to any vaccine, a n d t h a t m e a n s t h a t a few days after the shot, you m i g h t be a little feverish, have b o d y aches, a n d m a n y have some congestion. ALSO! It takes a full 2 WEEKS for the vaccine to be fully effective. If you wait until the flu is already circulating in your community, you could get the flu while your b o d y is still m o u n t i n g immunity. The sooner you get the flu shot the better!

Q: Does the flu shot even work? I've heard it's not even effective. Scientists called virologists study flu patterns every year. The vaccine changes yearly because flu mutates. Each year, the vaccine is a b o u t 50 -60% effective. While it's i m p o r t a n t to get vaccinated yearly because of mutations, if this year's fly has strains from a previous year in which you received the vaccine, you will still be i m m u n e to t h a t strain. If there are more people vaccinated every year, then there are more people with i m m u n i t y to m a n y strains: t h a t m e a n s the flu would be less likely to spread even if this year's vaccine isn't perfect.

Q: Is the flu even dangerous? Up to 50, 000 people die of the flu each year in the U. S. , a n d a b o u t 200, 000 people are hospitalized every year. 2020 flu season brings with it the shared threat of COVID. We have absolutely no idea w h a t happens to someone who is infected with both a t the s a m e time, or within a few weeks of each other. We'd rather not find out.

Q: Why would I worry about the flu in the midst of the COVID pandemic? Does the flu shot make me more susceptible to COVID? As above, no one really wants to find out w h a t happens to people who get both the flu a n d COVID. It is more t h a n likely t h a t if you get the flu a n d your i m m u n e system is weakened, a COVID infections could m a k e you even sicker. COVID research is still new, b u t several studies have already shown t h a t getting the flu shot does NOT m a k e you more susceptible to COVID.

SOURCES https: //www. mayoclinic. org/diseases-conditions/flu/in-depth/flushots/art-20048000 htt ps: // brighamh ea lthhub. or g/ pr even tion/ five-rea sons-to -ge t-yourflu-shot https: //www. sharp. com/health-news/the-science-behind-theflushot. cfm#: ~: text=The%20 flu%20 shot%20 works%20 by, the%20 flu%20 with out%20 causing%20 illness. https: // www. ucsfhealth. org/education/top-seven-flu-myths-debunked https: //www. healthlinkbc. ca/healthlinkbc-files/flu-vaccine-myth-facts https: //www. health. harvard. edu/diseases-and-conditions/10 -flu-myths https: //wa-health. kaiserpermanente. org/flu-shot-reactions-myths/ htt ps: // ww w. who. int/new s-r oom /spotligh t/in fluen za -are -we-re ady/5 myths-about-the-flu-vaccine