Flu Myths

Myths about the flu are everywhere, and with the help of WebMD we will debunk a few.

Flu Myth: The seasonal flu vaccine protects against swine flu.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t. There will be two vaccines this flu season: one for the seasonal flu and one for the novel H1N1 flu. The vaccine for the novel H1N1 flu is expected to arrive in Hawaii this week.

Flu Myth: The seasonal flu is annoying but harmless.
There has been a lot of focus on swine flu, but it’s important to remember that the run-of-the-mill seasonal flu can be a serious condition itself. In addition to the congestion and cough, you’re apt to have nasty body aches and fever, which are less likely with a garden-variety cold. But the seasonal flu also hospitalizes 200,000 people in the U.S. each year, and kills about 36,000.

Flu Myth: The flu vaccine can give you the flu.
There is simply no way that the flu vaccine can give you the flu – it’s impossible. Injected flu vaccines only contain dead virus, and a dead virus is, well, dead. It can’t infect you.

Flu Myth: The flu is only dangerous for the elderly.
It’s true that the people most likely to become seriously ill or die from the seasonal flu are over age 65. But flu can become risky for anyone, even healthy young adults. Some of the most susceptible people to seasonal influenza are young children.

Flu Myth: If you get the flu, you can’t get it again during that flu season.
Many people assume that if they’ve had the flu recently, they can’t get it again – and thus don’t need to get the vaccine. That’s not the case because the flu isn’t a single virus. In any flu season, there’s usually both Type A and Type B influenza in circulation. Both can cause the flu. It’s quite possible that you could get infected with one type and then the other.

Flu Myth: If you’re young and healthy, you don’t need to worry about getting the vaccine. Sure, if you’re in good health, you’ll probably recover from the seasonal flu just fine. Healthy adults forget that while they themselves might be at low risk for getting serious flu complications, other people in their family or community might not.