Though the flu is often taken lightly, it is a serious disease that has sent so many to the hospital and some, further beyond. From 1976 to 2004, the United States Government has estimated 3,000 to 50,000 deaths associated with the flu with 90% of the death toll belonging to 65 years and older bracket.
The best way to protect your self during the flu months of October to May is to have flu shots.
Why do You Need Flu Shots?
There are 2 ways of dealing with the flu. You can deal with flu when it comes. Or, you can deal with flu now so it will never come.
The flu starts off with that irritating buildup of phlegm in your throat with aches and pains on your joints and muscles. Then, you start to chill and very sleepy. If you are caught in the office or school, you’ll have your head face down your table with no intention of getting up and going home. Eventually someone will come over and check on you. You’re obviously sick so that person will place his hand gently on the side of your neck and declare the obvious.
Somebody picks you up or drives you home where you go straight to bed and wait for someone to give a sponge bath to bring down your temperature. For 5 to 6 days, you will be staying home feeling miserable and missing school and work. You will have hot chicken soup for every meal with a pair of antibiotic and antiviral capsules to swallow.
We can go on and on describing all the miserable things that you have to go through if you decide to take on the flu when it comes.
The worst thing that can happen is you infecting the rest of your family and having them go through the same misery.
If you decide to take flu shots and deal with the possibility of the flu now, we can erase all the things we’ve said because you won’t go through all the miseries that come along with the flu.
How Do Flu Vaccines Work?
Our body has the ability to produce antibodies that can fight the flu virus. That’s what happens when you catch flu. Your body will recover and at the same time, will produce the antibodies to protect yourself from being infected by the same virus for the time being.
Vaccines are small dosages of the virus that’s not enough to put you down but just enough to allow your body to develop the right antibodies so that when the real thing comes, you have the antibodies to protect yourself from being infected.
If flu shots are small dosages of the flu virus, will you feel awful after your shot? The answer is no, because the dosage is too small. You won’t feel weakened or affected. Unless, you’re immune system is down and have an existing illness. Then, you might feel the slight symptoms of flu.
That is why vaccinations are recommended only when you are in good health.
When is The Best Time to Get Flu Shots?
The anti-flu antibodies take about 2 weeks to develop after vaccination so it’s best to have it a month before the start of the flu season, for those who are taking it for the first time.
The vaccine will give you one year protection so just remember the date when you took your initial shot and ideally, it should be a yearly affair from then on.
Flu vaccines are produced by private manufacturers, and timing of availability will depend upon the completion of production. But normally, they have it available a month before the flu season in anticipation of the demand for it.
Where Can You Get Flu Shots?
Even if you don’t have a regular doctor or nurse, you can get a flu shot from various convenient places.
Flu vaccines are offered in doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments and pharmacies. One good place of getting it is at any Costco Pharmacies or Walgreens. Flu vaccines are sold over the counter and the attending pharmacist can give you the shot right there and then.
The flu is the most common of all illnesses. A lot of people may accept it as just part of life’s yearly cycle. But, you don’t have to take it as just that. It’s a matter of just asking yourself, what kind of person you are.
Are you the reactive type who will just wait for it strike you, or any of your family members, and take care of it now?
Or, are you the proactive type, the responsible father or mother who anticipates all the inconveniences that are bound to happen and tries all means to prevent it?
In the end, it’s all up to you. But in case you are concerned about catching the flu virus during the flu season, the good news is that there is a way of avoiding it.
