Flu shot

Can you believe it's already time to have your flu shot again? It seems like the season arrives earlier and earlier every year! In California we usually begin vaccinating around September 1st and continue through March or April. That could be up to 7 months of 'flu season'!

This year the flu shot contains either 3 or 4 strains of like-viruses. It is recommended that everyone 6 months and older receives the flu shot. There are certain groups that are more susceptible to the flu and they are strongly encouraged to obtain the vaccine. They include: the very young, the very old, and the very sick. More specifically this means children, elderly, and those with chronic health conditions. Additionally, people who take care of these types of people, family members, health care workers, should also be vaccinated.

Reports of the 2016-2017 flu vaccine show the vaccine was about 48% effective in preventing the flu. Is this a good statistic? For the people who were covered, yes! For the people who received the flu shot and still got the flu, no. The flu shot is typically engineered about a year in advance by very smart epidemiologists based on how they believe the virus will mutate or change. Some years, they get it right! Other years, they don't. What does this really mean? It means that these scientists look at how the virus has developed and spread and mutated over the past several years and they anticipate (read: GUESS) how it will look this year. They then engineer the vaccine to cover how they think the vaccine will manifest. For example, in the 2014-2015 season, the flu "drifted" or mutated and the vaccine was not as effective as they had anticipated. This does not happen every year, but it does occur. And, as recently as 2 1/2 years ago.

Our clinic has them in stock and we will start administering them on Tuesday, September 5th. Check with your pharmacy or doctors office about when they will start giving flu shots.

Should you get the flu shot? Talk to your PCP about it and make the best decision for YOU! Remember, the best way to prevent the flu is to stay home if you're sick, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer if you can't wash your hands, cover your cough and sneezes, and drink plenty of water! Avoid the sick people, too!