Top 10 reasons to have a flu shot

Every year I write a post in the late summer letting you know that flu season is approaching and to get a flu shot. I try to keep my posts informative and evidence-based, but I don’t have anything new to tell you about that.

Actually, I do have one bit of news. Some of you may have heard of FluMist, the flu vaccine given by nasal spray. It’s especially popular with children and with patients with needle phobias because it’s not injected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks the effectiveness of flu vaccines every flu season. In the 2015-2016 season FluMist offered essentially no protection against the flu, and this followed the previous two seasons in which its effectiveness was much lower than expected. So the ” target=”_blank”>see my post in 2012. If you’re over 6 months old, you should probably have one. If you want to read my responses to frequently raised objections to the flu shot, ” target=”_blank”>Martian Death Flu terrified you.
2. If you don’t, the week of high fever, body aches, and cough will pale next to the months of regret.

And the number one reason to get a flu shot: It will briefly distract you from the election.

Our shipment of flu shots came in this week. Please make an appointment to get yours.

Learn more:

” target=”_blank”>ACIP votes down use of LAIV for 2016-2017 flu season (CDC)