Your flu jab: fact vs fiction

Flu injection photo

So far, more than 900 of you have had your flu jab. But it’s still not too late to get yours!

There’s often a lot of myth around the jab - do you have questions? Do you think the jab gives you flu? Here we do some mythbusting and take a look at what’s fact or fiction when it comes to your jab…

Having flu is just like having a heavy cold

A bad bout of flu is much worse than a heavy cold. Flu symptoms come on suddenly and sometimes severely. They include fever, chills, headaches and aching muscles, as well as a cough and sore throat. You're likely to spend two or three days in bed. If you get complications caused by flu, you could become seriously ill and have to go to hospital.

Having the flu vaccine gives you flu

No, it doesn't. The injected flu vaccine that is given to adults contains inactivated flu viruses, so it can't give you flu. Your arm may feel a bit sore where you were injected, and some people get a slight temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards, but other reactions are very rare. The children's flu nasal spray vaccine contains live but weakened flu viruses that will not give your child flu.

Flu can be treated with antibiotics

No, it can't. Viruses cause flu, and antibiotics only work against bacteria. You may be prescribed antiviral medicines to treat your flu. Antivirals do not cure flu, but they can make you less infectious to others and reduce the length of time you may be ill. To be effective, antivirals have to be given within a day or two of your symptoms appearing. A bacterial infection may occur as a result of having the flu, in which case you may be given antibiotics.

Once you've had the flu vaccine, you're protected for life

No, you aren't. The viruses that cause flu can change every year, so you need a vaccination each year that matches the new viruses. The vaccine usually provides protection for the duration of the flu season that year.

I'm pregnant, so I shouldn't have the flu jab because it will affect my baby

You should have the vaccine whatever stage of pregnancy you are in. If you're pregnant, you could get very ill if you get flu, which could also be bad for your baby. Having the jab can also protect your baby against flu after they're born and during the early months of life.

There are still lots of flu clinics running, you can find your nearest clinic on east24. If you have any queries, please email the wellbeing hub.

 *Mythbusters from NHS flu fighters

Published 17th November, 2016

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