Before holiday shopping, socializing and endless eating take over our lives, take a break and go get your flu shot. Bring along family members or friends who haven’t received their vaccination as well. Make it an outing, with holiday sweaters and a stop for brunch to make it festive if you have to.
The important thing is to just go get your vax. Because flu season is here, and it’s looking like it will be a bad one.You need to be protected and so do the people you care about.
Last week was National Influenza Vaccination Week, which promotes flu vaccination through the holiday season and beyond. One reason officials are encouraging flu shots now is that all that holiday partying and travel can spread the flu. That means you can 1) get the flu and 2) pass it along to people you care about, which is a gift no one wants to receive.
The flu shot is safe and takes about two weeks to be effective after you get it, so now is the perfect time to get yours.
Still not convinced? There are so, so many benefits to getting a flu shot:
• Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with the flu. Millions of illness and flu-related doctor visits are prevented each year by flu shots.
• Flu vaccination can reduce visits to the hospital for flu. For seniors, getting a flu shot can lower their risk of flu-associated hospital visits by 40%.
• In children, the flu vaccine can be particularly lifesaving. A study in 2017 showed that flu vaccination significantly decreases the risk of kids dying from the flu.
• Flu vaccination can help prevent serious medical issues for people with chronic illnesses. In people with heart disease, flu vaccination decreases the rate of cardiac events.
• Flu vaccination helps to protect women during and after pregnancy. Getting a flu shot protects babies after they’re born. It also reduces the risk of flu-related acute respiratory infections by about 40% in pregnant women.
• Even if you do get the flu, getting the flu shot will mean that your symptoms will not as bad, and they won’t last as long.
For more info on vaccines and flu, check out our Get Ready fact sheets. For resources to share from CDC, including posters, FAQs and talking points, see their National Influenza Vaccination Week page.
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