OUR VIEW: Don’t delay on getting your flu shot
Published 7:30 pm Monday, October 11, 2021
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Flu season is upon us and again, we are faced with the decision on whether or not to get a flu shot.
Flu season runs from October through April, which means COVID and the flu will overlap during the peak months of December to February.
Vaccinations against the flu began in the 1930s and were made available on a large scale in 1945.
From what we know about the flu and COVID-19, both have similar symptoms and affect people differently.
Flu and COVID-19 both attack the respiratory system triggering fevers and coughing making it difficult to disguise between the two without proper testing.
According to the CDC, there are some key differences between flu and COVID-19. COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than the flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people.
It can also take longer before symptoms arise and those infected can be contagious for a longer period of time.
The CDC has also confirmed that it is possible to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Let that sink in for a moment.
Being armed with all that information should make people want to run out and get a flu shot.
Sure, there is a segment of our community that will not get the vaccine because of the misperception that they can get the flu.
That is simply not the case, although you might experience some flu-like symptoms.
After all, you are being injected with tiny amounts of the virus.
The CDC also estimates that getting a flu shot reduces your risk of contracting the flu by between 40 percent and 60 percent.
If you were told there was a 40-60 percent chance to win the lottery, you’d play, right?
Just the thought of having to navigate through a “twindemic” should convince people to get their flu shots.
However, we know it won’t convince everyone.
If you won’t get this shot for yourself, get it for the people around you.