Best Time to Get Your Flu Shot and Why You Should

I can tell you firsthand, having the flu is an absolutely miserable experience. I missed almost an entire week of work this year after being diagnosed with Type-A influenza, and before you ask--yes, I did get a flu shot.

In fact, I got the shot at my yearly visit with my doctor in January and still got the flu in February. The thing is, without the shot, the situation could have been much worse. Evidence shows that even if you do get the flu following vaccination, your symptoms will be less severe and you're less likely to suffer complications, like pneumonia, and the big one--death.

I know what you're thinking--no you do not get the flu from the shot. If you immediately get the flu afterward, you already had the virus in your system. It takes about two weeks to build your immunity after the shot.

Last year, was the longest flu season in U.S. history. From October 1 to May 4, 2018, around 40 million people in the U.S. got the flu and there were somewhere between 36 to 61 thousand deaths because of it. So far this year, over 7 million people have gotten it already!

The CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older be vaccinated, especially expectant mothers (the shot protects both mother and unborn baby), and the elderly.

It is not too early to be vaccinated, if anything, it might be a little late, as cases of the illness begin to rise this month. The recommendation is that we at least get the shot before Thanksgiving.

Fluzone is the high dose shot recommended for older adults for better protection and FluMist (the nasal spray) is back this year for kids and everyone else who hates needles.