I’m a healthy adult. Why should I have an annual flu vaccination?
The flu is a serious illness and can lead to serious complications, hospitalization and even death. Every flu season is different and the flu affects everyone differently as well. Many people think that only people with health problems need an annual flu vaccination. This is NOT true. Healthy people can also get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. The flu can leave you ill for up to seven days or more. The good news is that flu vaccination effectiveness is greatest among healthy adults and older children. Everyone six months of age and older should have an annual flu vaccination.
Get your flu vaccination early in the flu season so that you are already protected when the flu starts circulating in your community. It takes about two weeks after the vaccination to develop protection against the flu. People who receive the vaccine can still get the flu, but if they do, it may be a milder case. Once you have been vaccinated, protection may last up to one year. An annual vaccination is needed to assist in protecting against new virus types that may be circulating each year. In addition, protection from the vaccination will decline over the year so for the best protection, an annual vaccination is recommended.
If you are healthy, you will want to stay healthy. Reduce your risk and get your flu vaccination.
