From aches and pains to chills and fatigue, the flu can leave us unwell for up to two weeks. For some it can even be deadly.
While the best prevention is a flu vaccine, the life-saving jab is misunderstood by many. Learn the truth about the flu vaccine.
1. The flu jab makes you sick
A popular flu myth is that the vaccine itself gives you the virus and makes you sick. “Not true”, says Brenton Hart, Chief Pharmacist at TerryWhite Chemmart.
“The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu because it contains inactivated virus or viral components only. Mild side effects like soreness, fatigue or low-grade fever are normal and short-lived. These symptoms show your immune system is responding, which is a good sign.”
2. One flu vaccine will protect you for life
While influenza A and B are the most common types, there are many different strains of the virus, which vary each year.
“Flu viruses change constantly, so the vaccine is updated annually to match the most common strains,” says Brenton. “Immunity from last year’s vaccine fades over time, leaving you less protected. An annual vaccination ensures the best defence against severe illness and complications.”
3. Healthy adults don’t need a vaccine
Most healthy adults will recover well from the flu – it’s the very young, elderly and unwell people who are more at risk of serious complications. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a vaccine. As well as reducing your risk of getting the flu, it can make symptoms less severe.
Most importantly, the vaccine reduces the spread of the illness, protecting the vulnerable. “Healthy adults can still catch and spread flu, which puts babies, older adults and people with chronic conditions at risk because they’re more likely to have a more severe case of the flu if they catch it”, says Brenton.
4. The flu isn’t that serious – it’s just a cold
A common misconception about the flu is that it’s simply another name for the common cold. While both are contagious respiratory illnesses, meaning they can impact your airways and lungs, the influenza virus typically has much more severe symptoms (such as a high fever) and can cause serious illness says Brenton.
“Flu can cause serious complications, even in healthy people, including pneumonia and hospitalisation.” Colds are generally milder. There is also no vaccine for the common cold.
5. The vaccine doesn’t work – I still got the flu
“Each year, experts make an educated prediction about which strains of the flu are most likely to circulate,” says Brenton. “Even when the match isn’t perfect, the vaccine still provides meaningful protection and lowers the chance of severe complications and hospital admission. If you do get sick, symptoms are usually milder and you recover faster compared to being unvaccinated.”
It’s also important to remember that you might have a different virus altogether. “A lot of winter illnesses are caused by other respiratory viruses, like RSV, adenovirus or rhinovirus. The flu vaccine only protects against influenza, not the many other bugs that circulate at the same time.”
CARECLINIC CONSULT WITH WOMAN’S DAY
Flu vaccinations – your questions answered.
Why do some people feel sick after getting the flu vaccination? Can it actually give you the flu?
It’s one of the most common things we hear, and the short answer is no, the flu vaccination cannot give you the flu as the virus in the shot is inactive. What you’re feeling is actually your immune system practising to fight the virus, which can sometimes result in a slightly sore arm or a mild, short-lived feeling of being “under the weather”. It’s actually a sign that your immune system is working and building that vital shield for the season ahead.
I rarely get sick. Is it really worth making an appointment?
Definitely. Staying healthy is about being proactive rather than reactive. While things like diet, exercise, sleep and hydration are the cornerstone of good health, the vaccination is a vital extra shield. Even if you’re fit and active, the flu can knock you around for a week or more, leading to missed work or cancelled plans. By protecting yourself, you’re also protecting the people you interact with who might not be as resilient, like elderly neighbours, newborns and young children, or colleagues with underlying health issues.
Why do I need a new vaccination every year?
Unfortunately, the flu is a bit of a shapeshifter. The dominant strains change from year to year, so the vaccine is updated annually to match the most current versions of the virus. Think of it like a software update for your immune system – you need this year’s version to protect against this year’s germs. Plus, your immunity naturally wanes over time, so that annual booster ensures your protection is at its peak just as the winter chill sets in.
I’ve always been a bit needle-shy. How do you handle nervous patients?
Believe it or not, many of us pharmacists were once nervous patients too! We’ve seen it all, and are trained to make the whole experience as comfortable as possible, all in the private, calm environment of a CareClinic. People are often surprised when we say it’s all done!
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