Flu shots myths and facts, and why it still makes sense to get one
CNN••health
Key Points:
- A new flu strain called subclade K is causing widespread illness across the U.S., prompting experts to strongly recommend getting this season’s flu vaccine despite concerns about strain mismatch.
- Flu vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death, with studies showing protection across all age groups even when the vaccine does not perfectly match circulating strains.
- Although some people experience mild side effects like fatigue or soreness after vaccination, the flu shot cannot cause the flu itself because it contains only virus fragments, not live virus.
- Vaccinated individuals can still contract the flu, but the vaccine greatly lowers the chances of severe complications such as pneumonia, heart attacks, and brain damage.
- Pediatricians continue to recommend annual flu shots for
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-22400154171-19eb2573d96647f8894478942b5721be.jpg)
