Flu shots – should you wait?

You may have heard news stories advising you to wait until late fall to get a flu shot to ensure that immunity lasts through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advise getting your flu shot as soon as they are available in your area to ensure protection by the time the viruses begin to circulate. Since it can take up to two weeks after the shot for your body to produce protective antibodies and flu season typically begins in October or November it is best to get your shot before the end of October.

So should you get a flu shot? Yes! At best influenza can keep you housebound and miserable for upwards of a week with a painful infection. And it can be life-threatening in those who are elderly or who have chronic illnesses. To be clear, it won’t stop you from catching a cold and the shot doesn’t guarantee you won’t get sick, but it reduces the odds of catching the flu and increases the chances of a milder illness.

The information posted on this blog and website are for general information only and should never be relied on as specific medical advice for an individual reader.  No financial relationship exists between us and any recommended products or persons mentioned. All material contained here is the property of the Sheldon Sowell Center for Health, PC, and cannot be copied, reprinted, or linked to without our express permission.