By David Baron
Have you ever had the flu?
I mean the real flu. Influenza. I’m not talking about a few days of aches, fever, sore throat, cough and stuffy nose we all get once in a while.
We tend to refer to nearly every low-grade illness that includes some or all of these symptoms as “the flu.” People even call their condition the “stomach flu” when it involves vomiting or diarrhea.
Influenza is different.
If you’ve never had it, you really have no idea just how awful it can be. Various strains of the Influenza virus circulate the globe each year, mutating slightly from year to year, with new strains evolving and others vanishing.
Different strains of flu strike the Northern hemisphere during fall and winter. A team of experts agrees upon and develops each year’s influenza vaccine by analyzing the year’s strong strains and reviewing the previous year’s trends. The influenza vaccine (“flu shot”) hits the market in late summer and early fall and can safely and effectively help protect you from influenza.
Let’s consider some common misconceptions about the flu.
Some people choose not to get the flu shot because they’ve heard you can get the flu from the flu shot.
Simply put, that’s false. The viruses in the flu shot are dead.
Yes, you may have a mild reaction to the shot that feels like you’re “coming down with something” the next day. But that’s just your immune system gearing up to fight an empty threat. It fizzles out within another day, leaving you with the protection you need in case you encounter the real live virus trying to infect you.
Other people say, “I never get the flu,” or “I never get sick.”
Well, I’m always happy to hear that. Unfortunately, your past simply doesn’t predict your future in this case.
Getting influenza is nothing more than bad luck. If you stand in line, sit in class, visit a movie theater, attend a sporting event, get on a plane, train, or elevator next to someone coming down with it or just getting over the flu, you are likely to get it. The fact that most people do not get influenza is mostly a result of how many people get the vaccination.
So, if you choose to go without the vaccine, you’re taking the risk that you won’t come in contact with someone who has the illness this flu season.
Once you get it, you’ll never want it again.
I get the vaccine every year. I give it to my children. I recommend it to my patients. And I recommend it to you.
The flu shot is free for all registered students at the Ashe Center. Can you afford to miss two weeks of classes and assignments? My advice is to not take that chance. Be smart and come in for your flu shot this year and every year.
At the Ashe Center, we take our mission to support student success seriously, and a huge part of that is ensuring your health and well-being ““ so you can shine, inside and out.
Thanks for reading!
Dr. David Baron is the executive director of the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center. Submit questions for Baron to answer in future columns at asheaboutyourhealth@gmail.com, or tweet @dailybruin using the hashtag #AsheAboutYourHealth.
For more information about how to get your flu shot, visit the Ashe Center’s website at studenthealth.ucla.edu.