FAQs
With all of the different information about influenza circulating in the media and online, it can be hard to separate the facts from myths. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about seasonal flu, all of which have been verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Q: Will I get the flu from the flu shot?
A: No. Flu vaccine is created from dead or inactive viruses that are not contagious.
Q: When should I get a flu shot?
A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccinating as early as vaccine is available. Influenza usually occurs from November until April, with activity peaking between late December and early March.
Q: Why get a flu shot?
A: Influenza usually leaves its victims unable to function for several days and is responsible for an average of 200,000 hospitalizations each year.1 Getting an annual flu shot is your best protection.
Q: How effective is the flu shot?
A: The flu vaccine has been determined to be effective in preventing influenza in about 70 percent to 90 percent of healthy people under the age of 65 and is your best method of protection. Among elderly persons not living in chronic-care facilities and people with long-term medical conditions, the flu shot is 30 percent to 70 percent effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Among elderly nursing home residents, the flu shot is most effective in preventing severe illness, secondary complications, and deaths related to the flu. In this population, the shot can be 50 percent to 60 percent effective in preventing hospitalization or pneumonia and 80 percent effective in preventing death from the flu.2
Q: Will the flu shot protect me from H1N1 (“Swine Flu”)?
A: Yes. The vaccine for the 2010-2011 flu season includes immunization against three different strains of influenza, including H1N1.
Q: Do I need a flu shot every year?
A: Yes. Influenza viruses continually change every year. A new vaccine is used annually to fight the most current influenza virus. In addition, the antibody a person develops from the vaccine declines over time.
Q: Who should get a flu shot?
A: The CDC recommends that all people age 6 months and older receive a flu shot.
Q: If I received H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) vaccine last year, do I need another shot?
A: Yes. Regardless if you received seasonal, H1N1, or both vaccines in 2009, vaccination with a 2010-11 seasonal influenza vaccine is necessary to provide the best possible protection.
Q: What are the side effects of getting a flu shot?
A: For most people, vaccination causes no side effects. Less than 1/3 of those who receive a flu shot will experience some soreness at the vaccination site, and only 5 percent to 10 percent will suffer mild side effects such as low-grade fevers and headaches. Anyone who is allergic to eggs should avoid being vaccinated, since the virus used is grown in hens’ eggs.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2009.
2 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flu-shots/id00017
For information regarding flu vaccine containing Thimerosal, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site.
If you have additional questions, please contact your Physician or visit www.cdc.gov/flu.
Additional Q&A’s can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/fluvaccine.htm.