* Indigo does not currently offer the flu vaccine at any of our clinics.
"Flu season." Those two buzzwords are dreaded every year because of the painful symptoms they often bring with them: fever, aching muscles, chills and sweats, headache, persistent dry cough and more. Need we go on?
Having the flu can be downright miserable and sometimes even quite dangerous. This is why it's important to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming flu season. To help you get ready, we're going to look at a few common myths surrounding the flu that you shouldn't believe despite what goes around on social media.
Myth #1: The flu vaccine will give you the flu.
One of the biggest myths regarding the flu is that getting the flu vaccine can actually cause you to get the flu. However, this is not true at all. The flu vaccine is made with inactive flu viruses or only a single gene from the flu virus. This means that the vaccine has no active flu virus in it, preventing it from causing the flu.
Myth #2: Being healthy is good enough to prevent the flu.
Many people believe that because they're healthy overall, they won't catch the flu. Some people even believe that taking supplements like vitamin C can help prevent the flu. Unfortunately, this isn't true -- even the healthiest people can catch the flu virus.
While there are people who are at higher risk of catching the flu, such as the elderly and infants, no one is invincible when it comes to the flu. So don't make the mistake of thinking that your immune system will always be strong enough to fight off the flu.
Myth #3: The stomach flu is the same thing as influenza.
Oftentimes, "stomach flu" and "flu" are used interchangeably. But they are in fact quite different. On one hand, influenza is typically a respiratory virus, which mainly impacts the nasal passages and lungs. And while influenza can cause an upset stomach, it's different than the "stomach flu." The stomach flu, on the other hand, can be caused by a variety of factors, like viruses or bacteria, and generally only affects the stomach. So while they sound similar, they're very different.
The flu season can feel like a worrisome time, especially if you don't get vaccinated. So keep these misconceptions in mind, and you'll be as prepared as possible for the flu season ahead.
It’s important to know that it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body.
