Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual's immune system to develop adaptive immunity to bacteria or virus. Despite the facts that it gives many advantages, there are still many vaccination myths that people, especially adults, are believing and considering.
One of the most common justifications for people that are against vaccinations is that the diseases being vaccinated against are less harmful than the actual vaccination itself.
According to State College, more than 36,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu each year. The flu hits fast and hard. You may feel perfectly fine in the morning, but a few hours later you spike a fever, your body aches miserably and you just want to lie down and hibernate. It is also possible that your family members will get sick, too!
Myth: The flu is just a bad cold.
Fact: If you have the flu, you could be sick for one to two weeks simultaneously with high fever, chills, once in a while vomiting and muscle aches. Influenza is a virus and a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. This puts you at risk for more serious complications, such as bacterial pneumonia. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
Myth: Only the elderly need flu shots.
Fact: Almost everyone should get a flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu vaccine for all people age 6 months and older. It is safe for a pregnant woman and for people with existing medical conditions to be vaccinated.
Myth: If you received the flu shot last year, you don't need one this year.
Fact: You need a flu shot every year. It is suggested that you go check the nearest clinic or hospital near to you to schedule a flu vaccination every year. The World Health Organization coordinates the contents of the vaccine each year to contain the most likely strains of the virus to attack the next year.
Myth: It's too late to get a flu shot this year.
Fact: Now is the perfect time to be vaccinated. Traditional flu vaccines ("trivalent" vaccines) are made to protect against three flu viruses; an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an influenza B virus. There are also flu vaccines made to protect against four flu viruses (called "quadrivalent" vaccines). It is not too late to get those safe vaccines to protect your body health.
Now, all the vaccination myths that prevents you from protecting your health are all gone. Go to the nearest clinic or hospital next to you to protect your body.
