COVID -19 is not the only health issue people have to watch out for this winter. The annual flu season, which peaks between December and February, is sure to put additional strain on the health care system. Although people should get flu shots every year, this year could be the most critical year to get vaccinated.
Influenza, as the flu is called by its full name, is a viral infection that affects the respiratory tract – the throat, nose and lungs. The flu is an extremely unpleasant experience, but most people who get it can treat themselves at home without having to see a doctor.1
Still, the flu places a significant burden on the health of Americans each year. It is difficult to determine the exact disease burden of influenza because several factors come into play each year-including the characteristics of the predominant viral strain, the effectiveness of the vaccine against that strain, the timing of the flu season, and the number of people vaccinated.
Although numbers can vary widely, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza has been responsible for 9 million to 45 million illnesses, 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 to 61,000 deaths each year since 2010.2
Getting the flu vaccine every year is the best way to protect against the flu. For the 2019-2020 flu season alone, CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented about 7.5 million illnesses, 3.7 million doctor visits, 105,000 hospitalizations, and 6,300 flu-related deaths.3 Those are significant numbers-and individual decisions about flu vaccination can have a big impact.
Not sure if you should get a flu shot this year? Learn more about how vaccines work and why it’s so important to get a flu shot every year:
Vaccines: A Quick Primer
Understanding the basics of vaccines – how they work and what they do – makes it clear how important it is to get vaccinated. Vaccines contain a certain amount of the virus or bacteria to be fought, but in a modified or killed form so they can not cause disease. When a vaccine is administered, the body’s immune system tries to fight the “invader,” and since that invader is weak, the body manages to defeat it. In this process, antibodies are created – proteins that the body uses to fight the virus or bacteria should it ever invade the body again.
The flu vaccine protects against the flu, but unlike other routine vaccinations, the flu shot does not protect for life. Specific reasons to get the flu vaccine each year include:
1. The predominant flu strain changes from year to year
Vaccination as a treatment strategy is very effective for diseases that change little, such as measles, pertussis and hepatitis. The influenza virus, on the other hand, is constantly changing. The CDC refers to these annual changes as “drifting” and “shifting” – where “drifting” refers to small changes in the influenza virus and “shifting” refers to larger, abrupt changes that result in new proteins in the influenza virus. So you need a flu shot every year to make sure you are protected every year.4
Before each flu season, the CDC determines which flu strains are most likely to occur that year. Getting a flu shot can reduce the likelihood of contracting certain strains of the virus each year – and even if you do get sick, the flu shot can significantly relieve your symptoms. It’s best to get vaccinated every year.4
Even though the flu strain does not change much from year to year, it’s important to remember that the antibodies you built up from getting vaccinated the previous year can diminish over time. By getting vaccinated every year, you can be assured that you have the latest vaccine based on scientific knowledge about this year’s flu.5
2. The flu is more dangerous than you think
It’s not uncommon for people to think the flu is just a normal part of the annual illness process – and in most cases, the illness goes away on its own with no lasting effects.
Still, the flu can be dangerous, and complications can be deadly. People at highest risk for flu-related complications include:1
- Infants – the highest risk is in children younger than six months of age
- People who are older than 65 years
- People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
- Pregnant women or women up to two weeks postpartum
- People with weakened immune systems
- People with chronic medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, kidney, heart or liver disease
- People who are extremely obese (BMI ≥40).
3. If you protect yourself from the flu, you can also protect others
Getting vaccinated every year reduces your risk of getting the flu every year – which in turn helps reduce the risk of infecting people who are at higher risk for complications. The disease is highly contagious and can be easily spread to others. When an infected person coughs, talks or sneezes, tiny droplets spread everywhere. People who are nearby can breathe in these droplets through their nose or mouth, or the droplets can land on objects that people later touch.
The annual flu shot you get to protect yourself and others supports “herd immunity,” the idea that if enough people get vaccinated, diseases can not spread further because they keep running into protected people. Herd immunity helps reduce incidence overall, which in turn protects those most at risk.6
4. Vaccination is available and affordable (though not free)
One of the most important reasons to get vaccinated against influenza is that it is easy to get vaccinated. There are many ways to get vaccinated against flu – often for free.
Of course, the flu shot is available every year at every doctor’s office – but there are many other ways to get vaccinated. Pharmacies usually have employees who are certified to administer vaccines, and you can usually get vaccinated without an appointment. If you do not know where to get vaccinated, the CDC offers a handy flu vaccine finder to help you find out where flu shots are offered near you.
The Affordable Care Act classifies the flu shot as a preventive measure, which means if you have insurance, the cost of the vaccination is covered in full. If you do not have insurance, the flu shot is still affordable – typically costing between $30 and $40. That’s undoubtedly much cheaper than hospitalization if you get the flu and develop complications. Many health departments offer free flu shots for people with and without insurance.
Sources
- The Mayo Clinic. Influenza (flu). Last reviewed December 9, 2020.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disease Burden of Influenza. Last reviewed October 5, 2020.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits, and Hospitalizations Averted by Vaccination in the United States – 2019-2020 Influenza Season. Last reviewed October 6, 2020.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How the Flu Virus Can “Drift” and “Shift.” Last reviewed October 15, 2019.
- The Mayo Clinic. Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza. November 13, 2020.
- The Mayo Clinic. Herd immunity and COVID-19 (coronavirus): What you need to know. Last reviewed June 6, 2020.
