While the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, something not-so-wonderful about winter is the fact that the flu runs rampant. Anyone who’s ever had the flu knows that it’s not a pleasant experience. In addition to the cough and fever, many who people get the flu find that they don’t feel 100 percent for a week or so after the onset of the illness. The congestion, shortness of breath and body aches can linger, putting quite a damper on your favorite winter activities. Luckily, there is something you can do to take a stand against the flu that all people in nurse practitioner jobs should be talking to their patients about: getting the flu shot. Here’s what you should tell your patients about the necessary vaccine:
It’s not too late to get the shot
According to CNN, flu season can last as long as May, depending on where you live. Though the season begins as the weather starts to get colder, there’s no reason to brush off the flu shot because you feel it’s too late in the season. Explain to your patients, though, that you’re most likely to get infected in January or February, so the sooner the better. However, if you haven’t gotten around to getting your shot until New Year’s Day, do it anyway. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that it can take your body a couple of weeks to get immune to the virus, so if you’re exposed to it too soon after getting your shot, you can still contract the flu.
The flu shot isn’t just about preventing yourself from getting sick
True, you should take every precaution to keep yourself from getting the flu, but that isn’t the only reason you should get your flu vaccination this year. The more people get the shot, the lower the chances of the virus being spread around. This means that there’s a smaller chance that children, pregnant women, seniors and people with immune-compromised health conditions will get infected. It’s annoying for an otherwise healthy person to be laid up for a week with influenza, but this virus is much more dangerous to the aforementioned demographics. Do your part to control the flu and get the shot. Don’t be fooled – even if you’re not feeling sick, you could still be spreading the disease. According to the U.S. News and World Report, between 20 and 30 percent of people carrying the virus don’t even know it because they don’t show symptoms. While that may be great for you, it’s not so good for the 70 year old who grabs the doorknob after you do.
The flu vaccine does not cause the flu
A common reason that people opt out of getting the flu shot is the fact that they’re concerned that getting vaccinated will get them sick. This belief stems from the fact that the vaccine is made up of an inactive virus for your body to become immune to. According to CNN, you can experience mild side effects of the vaccine, like a sore arm where the shot was administered or a stuffy nose if you opted for a nasal spray vaccine instead. Another reason people believe that the flu shot actually gives them the flu is the fact that the shot isn’t a 100-percent guarantee of protection from the illness. There are multiple strains of the virus, and some are easier to protect against in a vaccine than others. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine will still protect most people, preventing complications from the flu as well. All people in nurse practitioner jobs should encourage their patients to be protected and get the flu shot.