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The jab will just give you flu open a can of chicken sou

ONE in five of us fears having the flu jab will make us catch influenza, a new poll reveals.

One in 10 think going outside in the cold, especially with wet hair, can make you more vulnerable to a chill.

And 16% of the 2,000 adults quizzed reckon colds and flu can be “cured” – by chicken soup.

Today we explore the common myths around these seasonal setbacks and sort out what’s not to be sniffed at from fake achoos news: “It’s worrying so many people still believe this,” says Jane Cavendish of Well Pharmacy, the largest independent NHS-approved chemist in Britain, which carried out the poll.

“The injected flu vaccine given to adults contains inactivated flu viruses, so it definitely cannot give you flu.

“It’s the only way to prevent it,” adds the pharmacist. “Even if you are not high risk, you’re likely to come into contact with someone who is – and it may have serious health consequences for them. So, I would urge everyone to get the flu jab every year.” Family GP and author Dr Roger Henderson says: “You’re more likely to catch a cold by touching a door handle, tea towel, or a handrail on the bus that’s been contaminated by the virus, than you are by someone sneezing on you. “Shaking hands also passes on germs,” adds the decongestant Olbas oil ambassador. “Once your fingers have been contaminated and you rub your eyes or nose, the virus can invade your body. But with flu, people can become ill if they breathe in droplets containing the virus that have been sneezed or coughed into the air.” “The opposite is usually true,” says Dr Perry. “Children get three times as many colds as adults – and over-50s catch only half as many as teenagers.

It’s because they will have been exposed to more colds in their lifetime so have more antibodies to common cold viruses than younger people. “ will h

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