Seniors, It’s Time to Get Your Flu Shot

The beginning of fall is marked by cooler temperatures, Eagles games, and changing leaves. However, autumn also ushers in a resurgence of influenza, meaning it’s time to start thinking about your annual flu shot.

Contrary to popular belief, the flu isn’t just a bad cold, and often progresses far beyond the typical fever, chills, and a few days spent in bed with warm soup. In fact, the flu can be deadly — especially for seniors.

During the 20182019 season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were up to 61,200 flu-related deaths in the U.S. What’s more, seniors continue to account for the vast majority of flu-related deaths — an estimated 70 to 90% of those deaths in recent years have been people 65 and older.

Luckily, there’s a simple and proven way to protect yourself against influenza: the flu shot.

Despite this, in neighboring Philly last flu season, only 70% of seniors were vaccinated by February.

Why are so many older Americans skipping their flu vaccines? As a physician, here are three common misunderstandings about the flu shot that I often hear, and want to debunk:

1) “The flu shot will make me sick.” By design, flu vaccines do not and cannot cause the flu. The vaccine uses trace amounts of either an inactivated or attenuated form of the virus to help your body build up immunity. Though some people may have soreness at the injection site or mild sluggishness for a day or so following the shot, it is a small price to pay to protect against the disease.

2) “The flu shot isn’t effective.” The flu vaccine is the single most effective way to protect against the flu. Studies show vaccination lowers risk of flu illness by 40 to 60%. Plus, if you do get sick, the shot can reduce the severity of the flu, including lowering your likelihood of hospitalization and even death from the flu.

3) “I don’t need a flu shot, I’ve never even gotten the flu.” There’s no guarantee you will escape the virus’s spread, even if you are physically fit and have never contracted the illness. Further, getting the flu shot not only protects you, but those around you, including grandchildren, family members, and others in the community. In one University of Michigan study, only half of people infected actually experienced flu symptoms. This means that you can even be totally unaware you have the flu, but still have the virus in your body and be able to transmit it to others at risk of severe flu complications.

While it might seem early, according to this year’s CDC recommendations, nearly everyone over 6 months of age should get a flu shot by the end of October. Flu shots are typically covered by employer-provided health insurance plans as well as Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans such as Clover Health, where I serve as Chief Scientific Officer. Find a local and convenient location online at vaccinefinder.org.

There are a lot of myths around getting a flu shot, but the real danger is in contracting the illness. It is our duty to our friends, family, and neighbors to quell these fears and encourage everyone in Philadelphia to get vaccinated before the virus hits