Why you should get the flu shot this winter

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: SALMA HUSSEIN
It will be over before you count to three; cotton ball at the ready and Band-Aid prepared for the finish!

One minute we were enjoying the colours that seemed to engulf us in the fall season, and all of a sudden, we wake up to a world embraced in never-ending snow. If you’re starting to feel the sniffles or know that your immune system doesn’t stand a chance against this year’s winter, then you might want to get familiar with the good old flu shot.

There’s a lot of unwarranted fear surrounding the flu shot and its effectiveness. Here’s why you should ignore the hoax and get your flu shot this winter.

The flu isn’t a common cold. Before I advise you to get the flu shot, you should first understand what the flu is. According to mayoclinic.org influenza, a.k.a. the flu, is a respiratory illness that attacks the body by spreading along your respiratory tract. The biggest difference between the flu and a common cold, in the simplest terms, is that the flu is a cold multiplied by your worst nightmare.

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When you get a cold, you are still able to function, but you may exhibit lack of energy and motivation to do much. The flu is much more draining and can even be so severe that it can leave you bed ridden. A cold will pass, but the flu could kill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 79,400 flu deaths in the United Stats during last year’s flu season. According to the Government of Canada, the flu causes approximately 3,500 deaths to Canadians each year.

Winter is peak flu season. When the first signs of snow begin, know that the flu is coming and anyone is susceptible. The best time to get the flu shot is in the fall, before flu peak season. That way, your immune system can start preparing itself by making antibodies to attack the virus that is soon to invade. According to CDC, it takes two weeks for the antibodies to develop so get your shot ASAP!

This is where the misconception comes in.

“I took the flu shot, but I still got sick. So that means it’s fake right?”

Wrong! In most cases, when a person takes the flu shot and still gets sick, the person had already been invaded by the virus. The virus attacked your immune system before the flu shot could help your immune system prepare itself with antibodies.

The virus mutates and the shot updates. A virus may not be alive, but it sure is smart. Last year’s flu shot wouldn’t work for this year’s spreading flu. Each year, the flu shot is updated to catch up with the ever-mutating virus. CDC emphasizes the fact that there are many types of viruses, influenza A and B being the seasonal epidemics that we see each winter.

So, not only are the viruses smart and mutating, there are different kinds of these viruses that could harm you. The importance of taking the flu shot each year is imperative to you and your loved one’s health.

It’s Free! No deal is better than free. Local clinics in London and at Fanshawe’s Fowler Kennedy Health Clinic are offering the flu shot for free. If you don’t live near the school, drop by any Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall and get your free flu shot today.

The Canadian death rate for the flu is much lower than the United States, perhaps due to the fact that everyone here can take advantage of no cost for flu shots.

I implore you, as a student nurse who genuinely cares for your well-being, to strongly consider taking the flu shot this winter. If I can’t convince you, then talk with your own health care provider for advice. The flu is no joke, and who wants to be sick during exams? They’re hard enough as is!

Adding exhaustion, a good old throaty wet cough, and inability to eat yummy foods due to a painful sore throat doesn’t help you with your upcoming exam grind. So, do your research and choose wisely, because winter is coming.