09 Oct Top 3 Benefits of Getting the Annual Flu Shot

Fall is upon us which means it is almost flu season. This also means it is flu shot season and time to consider going in for your annual flu vaccine. Year after year there is a great deal of discussion out there regarding the flu shot, how well it works and when to get it.

This is why it is so important to know just a few of the many benefits that come with getting your annual flu shot. While the list of perks is quite long, we have detailed the top 3 benefits of getting your annual flu vaccine.

1. The Flu Vaccine grows and changes—like the flu. One of the biggest questions that people have about the flu vaccine is why they have to get it year after year. After all, big vaccines like Polio only need to be administered once. Well, the reason that you need to get the vaccine annually is that the flu vaccine is always growing and changing—because the flu itself is always growing and changing.

The flu is a very smart disease and it can change and morph, which is why there are always new strains of the flu appearing every year. These changes allow the flu to impact even more people. Even those that have an existing flu vaccine meant to protect against a different strain of the disease could be at risk. Scientists are always working to determine which strain of the virus is going to be prevalent every year so they can make vaccines that will work.

This is why the best way to make sure you are protected from the latest strain of the flu is to get a vaccine every year so you can have the most up-to-date protection possible.

2. The REAL Flu is more dangerous than you know. The flu is not a cold. Yet, many people, unfortunately, use the term “cold” and “flu” interchangeably. The flu will not put you in bed for a day and clear up quickly on its own—it is much more serious than that. There are many people who think that they have had the flu before when in reality they just have flu-like symptoms. 

The real flu is very serious. It can make even normally healthy individuals very sick and lead to hospitalization and even death. When you are getting the flu vaccine you aren’t getting protection against the sniffles. You are getting protection against a very serious virus.

3. It is cheap and If you are one of those people who likes to make excuses for why you aren’t getting the flu vaccine, like “it is expensive,” or “I don’t have time,” then you may be surprised to find just how affordable the flu shot is. The flu vaccine is covered by most insurance plans and you can go in and get your shot at many drugstores, pharmacies, and grocery stores for typically around $30.

You can also go into your doctor’s office and quickly and easily get a shot without making a physician’s appointment. When you think about how expensive the flu can be if you do get sick, between doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, and medications, you can see just how smart of a decision this is.

It is important to note that the vaccine needs time to kick in and start working. Flu season can start as early as October, which means you should go and get your flu shot now so you can give your body the best chance possible to fight off this serious disease.