Health

Why You Should Get the Flu Vaccine

By Amy Schmidt

Autumn is in full swing—leaves are turning to amber and ruby, evening comes early, frost threatens to nip ripening tomatoes, and your doctor asks if you’re planning to get a flu shot. She asks you every autumn, but this time, the reasons to get a vaccine are more compelling and critical than they ever have been.

From October 1, 2019 to April 4, 2020, the CDC estimates that in the U.S. alone there were 39-56 million flu illnesses. It was a typical year, one the medical community (sadly) has come to expect. Influenza stresses the medical system and its resources every flu season. This year, there’s a new resource hog—Covid-19. The 2020-21 flu season is going to make its grand entrance into a system that is already maxed. This is a problem. The good news? You can help.

Let’s consider two scenarios: You wake up sick. But what are you sick with? Covid-19 or Influenza? There’s only one way to know for sure—get tested. So, you drag yourself down to the clinic or hospital. They collect your sample, you go home and quarantine until the test results come back. Ideally, you feel better quickly, your (negative) results come back quickly and you continue on with life. However, in another scenario, the results are delayed or come back inconclusive and you have to test again, and wait again, and quarantine again. Worse yet, your results come back negative but you still don’t feel good. Maybe you actually have influenza but you didn’t test for that so now you have go back to the clinic, test for influenza, wait again and by this time, you’ve infected your neighbor who came to check on you after you were assured you didn’t have Covid-19. Your flu results come back negative but the sacrifice was great, on both you and the medical system.

The easiest way to reduce your chances of scenario two is to get the flu vaccine. Why? Because if you get the flu shot, you are less likely to get Influenza which means you are less likely to get flu-like symptoms that could or could not be Covid-19.

When more people get the flu vaccine, fewer people end up with flu/COVID-like symptoms. This means fewer people will require COVID testing, and, ultimately,

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Getting the flu vaccine this year has never been more worthwhile. | STOCK

medical care. This saves resources for the people that need them the most.

Getting the flu vaccine has never been more worthwhile. Yes, you protect yourself and those around you from the flu. But, you also protect medical resources that are in precious and limited supply. Not to mention, you protect your sanity. Who would want the mind-game of scenario two?

It bears mentioning that the flu vaccine is not 100 percent (cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm), that not everyone should get the vaccine (babies under six months of age and people with

severe allergies to any of the ingredients of the vaccine) and that some people should check with their doctor before receiving it. But the bottom line is that the flu vaccine is a powerful way for us to protect ourselves from life-threatening illnesses, and by keeping ourselves well, protect others that are more vulnerable. So please, get the flu vaccine. It doesn’t hurt and you get a cool Band-Aid.

Sick and wondering what it might be? Check out Hartley Newell-Acero’s handy “What Am I Sick With?” chart at: bit.ly/ smcfluorcovid19.

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