According to the Center of Disease Control, every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get the flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands or tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year. If that isn’t reason enough to get a flu shot here are some more:
You can pass the flu even if you are not showing symptoms. Keep those close to you healthy!
Some people cannot get the vaccination (children who are too young, people with certain diseases, and so on). It is up to everyone else to create “herd immunity” and reduce the number of people susceptible to the flu, so fewer people are able to spread it.
Contrary to popular belief, the flu shot does not give you the flu. If you get sick, you likely had contact with the virus or you contacted a strain that does not have a vaccine. The sooner you get your flu shot, the less likely you are to get the flu.
A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from influenza.
Flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease, especially among those who experienced a cardiac event in the past year. Flu vaccination also has been associated with reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease.
Visit any of our six UNI Urgent Care locations to get your flu shot. No appointment needed, walk-in, get evaluated, and feel better.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice nor is it intended as such. If you have questions about your health please contact our offices, or 911 in case of an emergency.