Dr. D is back to debunk the oh so common myth, ”Getting a yearly flu shot will make you sick.”
This is most definitely a myth. I hear this a lot every year when flu season comes. I have dozens of patients who do not want to get the flu shot because they heard that it causes the flu or that they had a personal experience after getting the shot when they did not feel well.
The fact of the matter is, the flu vaccine is a DEAD (inactivated) virus. It is impossible to bring this dead virus back to life once inside the body. What many people may experience is not the flu infection from the vaccine; rather it is a reaction to the vaccine. Many may experience a few days of “flu-like “illness such as mild soreness, body aches and low grade fever which are all temporary. This however, only last a few days as opposed to the full-blown flu infection that can be 7-10 days of high fevers, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches and severe sore throats.
There you have it folks! Let’s just say I’ll be getting my flu shot early this year!
