If you've ever had the flu, you know how sick you can be. Chances are good that some of the advice friends and family gave you about avoiding or dealing with the flu was wrong. There seems to be no shortage of misinformation and bad advice when it comes to dealing with the flu and the flu shot.

Here are 10 common myths about the flu.

1. MYTH: You can catch the flu from the vaccine.
   The flu shot is made from an inactivated virus that can't transmit infection. People who get sick after receiving a flu vaccination were going to get sick anyway. It takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. But people assume that because they got sick after getting the vaccine, the flu shot caused their illness.
    
2. MYTH: I had the vaccine and still got the flu, so the vaccine doesn’t work
   It’s true that some people who get vaccinated still get the flu. This can happen for several reasons. Some people:

• May have already been exposed to the flu virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the 2-week period after vaccination. It takes about 2 weeks for the body to develop antibodies after vaccination.

• May have become ill from other respiratory viruses besides the flu, such as rhinoviruses that cause the common cold.

• May be exposed to a flu virus that wasn’t included in the vaccine for that year.

• May get the flu even if the vaccine for that year is designed to help protect against it. Flu vaccines vary in how well they work, and some people get the flu even though they are vaccinated. A person’s response to the vaccine is based on his or her overall health and age. Some older people and people who have a chronic illness may develop less immunity compared to healthy, younger people.

• Several studies show that people who were vaccinated but still got the flu had less severe symptoms than people who weren’t vaccinated and got the flu.

Several flu viruses are circulating all the time, which is why people may still get the flu despite being vaccinated since the vaccine is specific to one strain. However, being vaccinated improves the chance of being protected from the flu. This is especially important to stop the virus affecting people with vulnerable immune systems.

3. MYTH: The flu is just a bad cold.
   The flu can be a serious disease, especially for older adults, young children, and people who have certain chronic health conditions. Even among healthy children and adults, the flu may cause serious health complications that can lead to hospitalization and death.

For the 2018-19 flu season in the US, the CDC estimated that the flu vaccine prevented 4.4 million influenza illnesses, 2.3 million influenza-associated medical visits, and 58,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 3,500 influenza-associated deaths.

4. MYTH: You don't need to get a flu shot every year.
   The influenza virus mutates each year. Getting vaccinated annually is important to make sure you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak.
    
5. MYTH: You can catch the flu from going out in cold weather without a coat, with wet hair or by sitting near a drafty window.
   The only way to catch the flu is by being exposed to the influenza virus. Flu season coincides with the cold weather, so people often associate the flu with a cold, drafty environment, but they are not related.
    
6. MYTH: Feed a cold, starve a fever.
   If you have the flu (or a cold) and a fever, you need more fluids. There's little reason to increase or decrease how much you eat. Though you may have no appetite, "starving" yourself will accomplish little; poor nutrition will not help you get better.

7. MYTH: If you have a high fever with the flu that lasts more than a day or two, antibiotics may be necessary.
   Antibiotics work well against bacteria, but they aren't effective for a viral infection like the flu. Then again, some people develop a bacterial infection as a complication of the flu, so it may be a good idea to get checked out if your symptoms drag on or worsen.

8. MYTH: The flu vaccine is mixed with the Covid vaccine.
   The Covid booster and flu shot are separate vaccines, however, they can be administered concurrently. 

When flu season hits, take the necessary steps to stay healthy. That includes separating fact from myth. MHCS has flu, Covid and RSV vaccines available at all three medical clinic locations.