Send us a message with this link, we would love to hear from you. Standard message rates may apply.

The flu vaccine is our best defense against influenza, a contagious respiratory virus that causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the US each year. Despite being only 40-60% effective, the vaccine significantly reduces hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and deaths while protecting vulnerable populations who cannot be vaccinated.

• Influenza causes 9-41 million illnesses, 140,000-960,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000-80,000 deaths annually in the US
• Everyone aged six months and older should receive the flu vaccine yearly
• The vaccine must be updated annually because the flu virus changes each year
• Getting vaccinated helps protect vulnerable populations like infants and immunocompromised individuals
• Common misconception that the vaccine causes flu is false – it cannot give you the flu
• Only 40-46% of Americans get the flu vaccine annually despite its proven benefits
• The best time to get vaccinated is before flu season begins, but getting it later still helps
• Flu vaccination reduces strain on hospitals during peak seasons

Go get your flu shot today! It's the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors


References

1. Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza With Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - United States, 2022-23 Influenza Season. Grohskopf LA, Blanton LH, Ferdinands JM, et al. MMWR. Recommendations and Reports : Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Recommendations and Reports. 2022;71(1):1-28. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7101a1. Copyright License: CC0.
2. Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America: 2018 Update on Diagnosis, Treatment, Chemoprophylaxis, and Institutional Outbreak Management of Seasonal Influenzaa. Uyeki TM, Bernstein HH, Bradley JS, et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases : An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2019;68(6):e1-e47. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy866.
3. Influenza Vaccination. Treanor JJ. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2016;375(13):1261-8. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp1512870.
4. Effects of Influenza Vaccination in the United States During the 2017-2018 Influenza Season. Rolfes MA, Flannery B, Chung JR, et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases : An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2019;69(11):1845-1853. doi:10.1093/cid/ciz075.
5. Vaccines for Preventing Influenza in Healthy Adults. Demicheli V, Jefferson T, Ferroni E, Rivetti A, Di Pietrantonj C. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;2:CD001269. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001269.pub6.
6. Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2022-2023. Pediatrics. 2022;150(4):e2022059275. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-059275.
7. Influenza. Uyeki TM. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2021;174(11):ITC161-ITC176. doi:10.7326/AITC202111160.

Support the show

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Production and Content: Edward Delesky, MD & Nicole Aruffo, RN
Artwork: Olivia Pawlowski