Reasons You Need to Get a Flu Shot (This Year More Than Ever Before)
Every year, doctors encourage their patients to protect themselves from the influenza virus with an annual flu vaccine. However, getting vaccinated for influenza is more important than ever before because, this year, the 2020-2021 flu season coincides with the novel coronavirus pandemic. So, what does COVID-19 have to do with a vaccine designed to prevent a completely different virus?
Read on to learn why it’s essential to get your flu vaccine now.
Top 5 Reasons to Get a Flu Vaccine in 2020
1. Overlapping Symptoms
COVID-19 and influenza share many similar symptoms. People who develop a fever, cough, congestion, or body aches might have to self-quarantine for several days to protect others from potentially contracting coronavirus. It goes without saying but quarantining can seriously interrupt work, school, and other regular commitments. By protecting yourself from influenza, you’ll prevent the need to self-quarantine due to influenza symptoms that could be mistaken for signs of COVID-19.
2. Strained Healthcare Resources
We vaccinate against influenza because it has the potential to make people seriously ill – ill to the point of requiring hospitalization. In the midst of the pandemic with hospitalization numbers growing, healthcare systems in the United States all already strained under tremendous, unprecedented pressure. Flu vaccinations will prevent a major influenza season from compounding the current strain on healthcare workers, hospital beds, and other medical resources.
3. Vaccination Is Safe and Effective
Despite the rumors, you cannot get the flu from a flu vaccine. While vaccination has some normal reactions like a mild fever, adverse reactions are rarely serious and mild reactions clear up after a day or two. Before getting any vaccination, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about any past reactions or allergies you have had to vaccinations or medications.
4. Less-Severe Illness
Each year, researchers do their best to predict which strains of influenza will be the most prevalent and serious in the upcoming flu season, and they develop their vaccines based on these projections. Whether this year’s influenza vaccine protects against the specific strain that’s spreading in our community or not, vaccination will still protect you from influenza by minimizing the severity of symptoms and duration of illness should you contract a different strain of influenza.
5. Future Protection
Influenza vaccines also offer compounding protection from flu that recipients benefit from for years to come.
Get a Flu Shot at Gulf Coast Health Center
If you have yet to get your flu shot this year, now’s the perfect time to schedule an appointment to safeguard your health and support our local healthcare workers. Contact Gulf Coast Health Center to schedule your flu shot or to find a clinic or pharmacy providing flu shots near you.
