Why The Best Time To Get Your Flu Shot Is In The Fall and Winter

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TThis post is made possible by the American Lung Association, in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Are you ready for flu season? I don’t know why but it sneaks up on us every year. Maybe it’s the excitement of fall, school being back in full swing or the approaching holidays. Living in Florida, it’s still warm in October/November and we tend to associate flu with colder weather. The thing is, THIS is the time to get those flu shots.

Why The Best Time To Get Your Flu Shot Is In The Fall And Winter

Flu season typically begins in October and can run as long as April or May.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting your flu shot as soon as possible because it takes two weeks to give the antibodies time to grow so they can help protect you from the flu.

It’s also important to get your shot annually because if you don’t, the shots lose their effectiveness. Flu strains vary every year and the vaccines are adjusted to keep up with those changes.

Why Is Getting The Flu Shot So Important

Some people put off getting their shot because they’re too busy or just forget, but the flu is something you don’t want to mess around with. Spread easily from person to person, the flu is a serious respiratory illness that can lead to severe health issues like pneumonia. It can also exacerbate heart and lung diseases and in the worst scenarios, can lead to death.

The risks are even worse for adults 50 years of age and older.  Because it’s more common for older adults to have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and lung or heart disease, it’s especially important for them to get an annual flu shot. When combined with the flu, chronic health conditions can worsen and even cause serious illness.

Getting the flu shot only takes a few minutes and it’s easy to find a place to do it. You can visit your healthcare provider’s office, a freestanding pharmacy or even a store with a pharmacy inside it. In the past, we’ve even gotten ours at the grocery store pharmacy. We always do it sooner than later because the earlier we get it, the earlier our bodies have protection to help prevent flu.

We’re not doing it just for us. We get the flu shot to help protect those around us too. We’re around older family members on a regular basis and if we come down with the flu, we put them at risk too.

Where To Find More Information About The Flu Vaccine

Are you 50 years of age and older or have a loved one that’s older? The American Lung Association has teamed up with Sanofi Pasteur to launch the MyShot initiative. It encourages those 50 years of age and older to learn more about the dangers of the flu and why it’s important for them to get their flu shot. 

There’s also a handy Vaccine Finder at GetMyShot.org to find where flu shots are available locally.

To find out where vaccines are available in your area, check out the Vaccine Finder on GetMyShot.org or talk to your health care provider.

Find out more by following the American Lung Association on Facebook and Twitter.  

SAUS.IFLU.19.07.3895 – 08/19

The post Why The Best Time To Get Your Flu Shot Is In The Fall and Winter appeared first on Fun Money Mom.

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