Myths about flu vaccination

💉Flu vaccination season has begun, which means doctors have even more work to do - dispel myths about its dangers. In this article, we have analyzed the most popular requests from patients to our family doctors.

❌One flu shot provides lifelong immunity.

✅ There are many strains of the flu virus that mutate every year. Scientists study data from 100+ countries to predict the most common strains and create vaccines. Therefore, according to the WHO recommendation, the strain composition of vaccines changes annually and, accordingly, vaccinations provide protection for one flu season.

❌The vaccine can cause a full-fledged infectious disease.

✅ The vaccine does not contain pathogens and consists of a set of antigens.

❌If a person has had the flu this season, they no longer need to be vaccinated.

✅ It is necessary, especially for risk groups. In addition, people often believe that they have had the flu (without confirming this diagnosis by a doctor), although in fact it was a severe form of acute respiratory viral infection with similar symptoms.

❌If a person did not get vaccinated against the flu in September-October, then there is no point in getting vaccinated later.

✅It is never too late. Of course, it is better to get vaccinated as soon as the flu vaccine becomes available. However, vaccination can be done later, even if seasonal flu outbreaks have already been recorded in your region.

❌Children should not be vaccinated against flu

✅The greatest danger from the flu is for people who are at risk. First of all, these are children under 5 years old (especially — children under 2 years old). Therefore, it is possible and worth getting vaccinated against flu for children from six months.

❌Vaccines can cause autism

✅The myth that vaccines cause autism has not been confirmed by any studies or real evidence. This myth was very common for some time and was the reason why many people stopped getting vaccinated and refused vaccinations for their children.

❌Pregnant women should not be vaccinated against the flu, so as not to harm the fetus.

✅ Pregnant women in any trimester should be vaccinated to protect themselves and their child. Pregnant women usually have a hard time with the flu, which also negatively affects the fetus. In addition, as a result of vaccination, immunity against this disease will be transferred to the baby from the mother and will protect the child from the flu during the first months of life.

❌Healthy people do not need to be vaccinated

✅First of all, people who belong to the risk group or suffer from certain chronic diseases should be vaccinated against the flu. At the same time, all authoritative health organizations recommend that all people (from the age of 6 months) get vaccinated against the flu every year. In an environment where vaccination coverage is at least 95-98%, the disease will not spread. Vaccination coverage creates what is known as herd immunity.