Have you had your flu jab?

If you or your family have been offered a free flu jab, please make sure you take it up and don’t be put off by myths about the vaccine.  

Elderly people, people with chronic illnesses or damaged immune systems and pregnant women are all being targeted this year and reminded that they are more at risk of developing serious complications if they catch flu. 

The vaccine can’t and doesn’t give you flu and it can’t completely prevent you from catching it but it could prevent you from becoming seriously ill or passing on to others who are unable to fight it easily.

There’s more truth in the story of the Loch Ness Monster than there is in some of the myths about flu. Here’s the top 11 myths to stop confusion spreading. 

1. Healthy people don't get seasonal flu. False
    
   Anyone get it. About 15 to 20 per cent of the population gets flu each year.
    

2. Flu is a mild illness so I don't need to be vaccinated. False
    
   If you’re ‘lucky’ flu means a few days in bed, feeling dreadful. Globally seasonal flu causes three to five million cases of severe illness and between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths.
    

3. If you’ve never had flu before, you don’t really need the vaccine. False
    
   Oh yes you do. The flu virus mutates every year so you’re just as much at risk. Plus, you can carry and pass on the virus without having any symptoms yourself.
    

4. I’ve had the flu jab before so I don’t need it again. False
    
   We don't know how long last year’s vaccination will last so it’s best to get it done every year.
     

5. The side effects of the vaccination are really bad. False
    
   Mostly side effects are mild to non existent… maybe a slight soreness around the site of the injection and occasionally some aching muscles or a slightly raised temperature.
    

6. The flu jab isn’t safe/I had a reaction to the swine flu jab so can’t have the seasonal flu jab.  False
    
   The risk of having a serious (anaphylactic) reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine is less than one in a million. It is much less than the risk of getting seriously ill from flu itself.
    
   If you have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu jab in the past (anaphylaxis) then you should not have the vaccine.  If you have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to hens' eggs, you can still be vaccinated under specialist clinical supervision or have an egg-free flu vaccine.
    

7. The flu jab can give you the flu. False
    
   It’s impossible to get flu from the flu jab because the vaccine doesn’t contain any live viruses. A few people have mild side effects because their immune system responds to what it thinks is an attack of flu.
    

8. It hasn't been properly tested. False 
     
   It’s one of the safest vaccines in the world and is given to millions of people in the UK each year. The specific strains of flu that are included may change from one year to the next but that does not affect the safety of the vaccine or change it in any other way.
   

9. I've heard the vaccine doesn't work. False
    
   Flu vaccines give about 70 to 80 per cent protection to healthy adults.  The World Health Organization and others ensure the closest possible match between the vaccine and circulating flu strains.
    

10. I can’t have the jab because I’m pregnant. False 
     
    Pregnant women should have the flu vaccination at any stage of their pregnancy. Having the vaccination when pregnant helps protect your baby from flu in the first few months of life.
     

11. You’re infectious after having the jab so avoid close contact for a while. False
      
    The vaccine won’t make you infectious to anyone, so it’s safe to carry on as normal.