Every year, information is spread about the importance of flu protection. Washing hands, covering the mouth after a sneeze and getting the flu shot is pushed everywhere. 

It can be annoying, but there is importance behind each action to prevent the flu. 

The flu shot is the most highly contested because of people’s concerns about safety and effectiveness. 

It is a myth that the flu shot causes the flu. 

Flu vaccines contain the dead or weakened virus which stimulates the immune system in a similar way to the real virus. The practice exposure allows the immune system to learn how to fight the most likely viruses of that year. 

The act of the immune system reacting to the virus is exactly why it works. The flu vaccine does not contain a live virus, which is why it cannot actually cause the flu.

Some people experience mild side effects which can make them think they have the flu. The most common comments of people are that there was tenderness/ redness at the injection site, fever or headache. 

The most common flu shot is made using small amounts of eggs, but there are other options for people who have egg intolerances.

These effects do not last long; usually, they are just the immune system learning which can mimic a very mild infection. These are not reasons to skip the flu shot because they are temporary and more of an annoyance than anything else. 

It is better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to something like the flu, which can be deadly. 

Compare a day of feeling uncomfortable if there is any reaction to the shot to spending a week incapacitated with illness before considering skipping the vaccine.

The flu shot is something that needs to be given every year in order to work. 

The vaccine is changed every year to protect against what scientists think the most likely flu virus strains will be. 

The flu is monitored year-round by over a hundred centers across the world to track to most common and viral strains in order to manufacture the best protection.

Even though some years offer better protection than others, it is still important to continue to get it. 

The flu shot is not a complete guarantee of being completely immune to getting the flu,  but it will offer some protection and could make a difference in how severe other strains are.    

The Center for Disease Control stresses the importance of getting the flu vaccine every year, but especially this year. 

The flu is deadly and dangerous and should be seen that way. 

In the 2017-18 flu season, nearly 80, 000 people died from the flu with almost 960, 000 others hospitalized. 

The flu can be deadly and getting a shot is the key way to protecting oneself and surrounding others from the flu, just like washing hands or covering sneezes. 

It is an extremely easy thing to get once and be protected for the year.

The flu shot is not the most expensive or inconvenient medical care. 

Every pharmacy basically offers the flu shot. 

The flu shot is about $30 without insurance, but most of the time it is free with insurance.  There are even places that offer things for getting the flu shot for free. 

Publix also has a deal in which customers who get the shot with insurance, they are presented with a $10 gift card. 

These promotions are great, and everyone should take advantage of them while they last.

The flu shot is not to be feared. There is no true way to get sick from the flu shot. There are mild side effects, if any, when getting the shot. 

In addition to Publix giving flu shots for free, APSU also provides flu shots for students who do not wish to travel to their nearest grocery store.

According to the Austin Peay website, Boyd health services provides both allergy injections and immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella (known as the MMR vaccine), meningitis and influenza clinics.

There is a very real threat associated with contracting the flu, so everyone should protect themselves.

           It is a myth that the flu shot causes the flu. Flu vaccines contain the dead or weakened virus which stimulates the immune system in a similar way to the real virus. The practice exposure allows the immune system to learn how to fight the most likely viruses of that year. The act of the immune system reacting to the virus is exactly why it works. The flu vaccine does not contain a live virus, which is why it cannot actually cause the flu. 

           Some people experience mild side effects which can make them think they have the flu. The most common comments of people are that there was tenderness/ redness at the injection site, fever or headache. The most common flu shot is made using small amounts of eggs, but there are other options for people who have egg intolerances. 

          None of these effects last long. Usually, they are just the immune system learning which can mimic a very mild infection. These are not reasons to skip the flu shot because they are temporary and more of an annoyance than anything else. It is better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to something like the flu, which can be deadly. Compare a day of feeling uncomfortable if there is any reaction at all to the shot to spending a week incapacitated with illness before you consider skipping the vaccine. 

          The flu shot is something that needs to be given every year in order to work. The vaccine is changed every year to protect against what scientists think the most likely flu virus strains will be. The flu is monitored year-round by over a hundred centers across the world to track to most common and viral strains in order to manufacture the best protection. 

          Even though some years offer better protection than others, it is still important to continue to get it. The flu shot is not a complete guarantee of being completely immune to getting the flu,  but it will offer some protection and could make a difference in how severe other strains are.     

         The Center for Disease Control stresses the importance of getting the flu vaccine every year, but especially this year. The flu is deadly and dangerous and should be seen that way. In the 2017-18 flu season, nearly 80, 000 people died from the flu with almost 960, 000 others also hospitalized. The flu can be deadly and getting a shot is the key way to protecting oneself and surrounding others from the flu, just like washing hands or covering sneezes. It is an extremely easy thing to get once and be protected for the year.

        The flu shot is not the most expensive or inconvenient medical care. Every pharmacy basically offers the flu shot. The flu shot is about $30 without insurance, but most of the time it is free with insurance.  There are even places that offer things for getting the flu shot for free. Publix also has a deal in which if customers get the shot with insurance, customers are also presented with a $10 gift card. These promotions are great, and everyone should take advantage of them while they last.

          The flu shot is not to be feared. There is no true way to get sick from the flu shot. There are mild side effects, if any, when getting the shot. There is a very real threat associated with contracting the flu, so everyone should protect themselves.