It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important for older adults. And, it is all the more important during this coronavirus pandemic. With summer coming to a close, it’s time to get your flu shot!
Talk to your doctor about getting the flu shot and about whether you should get a special vaccine available for people over 65. The good news: Medicare covers the full cost of a flu shot.
You likely do not need to go to the doctor’s office for your flu shot. More pharmacies are offering drive-through and curbside flu shots, in addition to in-store vaccines.
Why get the flu shot now? That’s how you best protect yourself, the people you love and your community. The flu, like the novel coronavirus, can be lethal. It kills tens of thousands of people each year. In 2018, 80,000 people died of the flu. And, older adults are more likely to die from the flu than younger people.
The flu vaccine takes between two and four weeks to become effective. So, even if you get it now, it might not protect you from the flu until mid-October. It will not protect you from the novel coronavirus, though the symptoms can be quite similar–a cough, a cold, sore throat, fever.
Unfortunately, sometimes the flu shot will not keep you from getting the flu. However, even if you get the flu, the flu shot reduces the odds that it will be a severe case. The flu shot may keep you from being hospitalized for the flu or, worse still, from being in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It also reduces your risk of death.
You should not wait to get the flu shot. No one knows whether the flu season will begin this month or next. You want to protect yourself as soon as possible.
You need the flu shot even if you have not gotten the flu before. (The only exceptions are people who are allergic to the flu vaccine.) There is only benefit from getting the flu shot. The flu shot cannot give you the flu.
Here’s some good news: Everything you are doing to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus–social distancing, wearing a mask and regular hand washing–should also minimize your chance of getting the flu!
This post was originally published on September 9, 2020.
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