English
Spanish
And at Grace Medical Clinic, we’ve seen a huge uptick in the number of flu cases, both A and B and want to get you vaccinated. We’re here to answer any questions you may have and recommend the shots that would be beneficial to your health.
Why Should You Get the Flu Shot?
Getting a flu shot is an important step in protecting yourself and others from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccination can prevent millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year 1. During the 2019-2020 flu season, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 36 million influenza illnesses, 16 million influenza-associated medical visits, 390,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 25,000 influenza-associated deaths 1.
Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu. During seasons when flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40% to 60% 1. Flu vaccination has also been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick 1. For instance, a 2021 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients had a 26% lower risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated 1.
Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization. Flu vaccine prevents tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year 1. A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an ICU with flu by 82% 1. A 2017 systematic review found that during 2010-2011 through 2014-2015, flu vaccines reduced the risk of flu-associated hospitalization among older adults by about 40% on average 1.
Flu vaccination is an important preventive tool for people with certain chronic health conditions. Flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease, especially among those who have had a cardiac event in the past year 1. Flu vaccination can also reduce the risk of a flu-related worsening of chronic lung disease (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring hospitalization) 1. Among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease, flu vaccination has been shown in separate studies to be associated with reduced hospitalizations from a worsening of their chronic condition 1.
In addition to protecting yourself, getting a flu shot can also help protect others around you. When you get vaccinated, you are not only protecting yourself from getting sick, but also those around you who may be more vulnerable to serious flu illness, such as young children, older adults, and people with certain chronic health conditions 2.
In conclusion, getting a flu shot is an important step in protecting yourself and others from the flu. It can keep you from getting sick with flu, reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization, and lower the risk of a flu-related worsening of chronic health conditions. Moreover, it can help protect those around you who may be more vulnerable to serious flu illness. So, it is highly recommended to get a flu shot every year 12.
Learn more: 1cdc.gov | 2healthline.com | 3cdc.gov | 4cdc.gov