Anyone, even healthy people, can get the flu. Thankfully, this illness can be prevented by getting an annual flu shot. Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Symptoms can be as mild as having a runny or stuffy nose or as severe as chest pains, vomiting, or diarrhea. Flu can also cause other diseases, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, to develop.
Although a
flu shot can not prevent COVID-19, it provides many benefits that make it essential to get vaccinated yearly.
Here are five reasons why getting an annual flu shot is a must:
1. A yearly flu shot can prevent flu.
Each year, millions of people get the flu. Hundreds of thousands get hospitalized, and thousands die from flu-related conditions.
Flu is a very infectious disease and can be transmitted through droplets made when an infected person sneezes, cough, or talks. The flu can also spread through direct contact with surfaces that have the virus on them; the virus is transferred into your body when you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. To put it simply, you can be easily exposed to the influenza virus, and getting an
annual flu shot is your best protection against it.
2. Getting a flu shot can reduce your sick days.
Doctors often advise flu patients to stay at home and rest for a week or two. Although you do get off from work or school, it's no vacation at all.
Flu symptoms may include fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, and fatigue. And most people who have already experienced the flu know how bothersome it can get.
Not only is getting the flu an awful experience, it can also cost you and your employer a lot of money. During the 2019-2020 flu season, an estimated 14 million workers got sick due to the flu. The cost of lost productivity was approximately $13.1 billion.
3. Flu vaccination can also reduce complications and hospitalizations.
Sometimes, there are complications with the flu that require you to receive emergency medical care. Symptoms of complications with influenza may include dehydration, turning blue, difficulty breathing, or worsening conditions.
Some people are also at a higher risk of developing complications due to flu. Cancer patients and survivors, diabetic patients, people with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems, and older adults are among those who face increased risk of complications.
Thankfully, getting a flu shot can help prevent these complications and reduce hospital visits. In the 2019-2020 flu season, receiving the vaccination helped prevent approximately 105,000 flu-related hospitalizations. Children who received a flu shot were half as likely to be hospitalized with flu-related conditions.
Even among those hospitalized, getting a flu vaccine was shown to reduce the chance of admission to the ICU. And on average, those who were vaccinated reduced their hospital stay by four days compared to those who did not get a flu vaccination.
4. A flu shot can help protect pregnant women.
Changes in their bodies make pregnant women more susceptible to the flu. To make matters worse, the flu could also affect the health of the baby.
Getting a flu shot during pregnancy can help protect both mother and child from the influenza virus. It reduces the risk of flu-related acute respiratory infection by one-half. The flu vaccine also reduces hospitalization due to the flu in pregnant women by 40%. A study also shows that getting a flu shot helps protect newborn babies from the flu during their first few months.
5. A flu shot can help protect the people around you.
Getting vaccinated protects not only you but also the people in your community. As more people get their flu shot, the virus will be less likely to spread. This situation is critical in protecting those who are more vulnerable to flu-related illnesses like older people, young children, and people with chronic health conditions.
Did you receive your flu shot yet?
If not, get vaccinated by reliable healthcare professionals. Contact
Phoenix Medical Centers today to schedule your flu shot.
Call us at (813) 462-2595.
