Roll up your sleeve as you mask up
October 6, 2020
By Mike Heck MLT, BS, BSN, RN, CIC, Occupational Health & Ambulatory Infection Preventionist
Department of Infection Prevention, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center
As a nurse and certified infection preventionist, I’m more concerned about people not getting vaccinated than I’ve been in my nearly 30 years in healthcare.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being flu vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent getting and spreading the flu virus. We recommend that everyone six months and older have the seasonal flu shot every year.
We routinely hear myths, misconceptions, and fears about the flu shot from those who think they shouldn’t get it or don’t need it.
These misconceptions include:
- I’m healthy, so I don’t need it.
- The vaccination causes the flu.
- I’ve never gotten the flu, so I don’t need the shot.
- I’m afraid of shots.
- It will hurt.
This year, we have an added concern. Community members and patients think they are completely protected against flu. They say since they wear masks in public and practice physical distancing, they’re not likely to get flu. Masking is a good “layer” of protection, however, it is not complete protection.
We are also concerned about the possibility of people getting the flu and COVID-19, which could be a deadly mix.
If you’re healthy, keep doing what you can to stay that way. But remember, even those who are healthy can get flu. It is highly contagious. You can get the flu from touching surfaces or being exposed to droplets in the air – such as when someone sneezes.
The flu vaccine does not cause you to have the flu. It contains non-live virus strains that boost your immunity. Any side effects you might experience are signs that the vaccine is boosting your immune system against flu.
If you haven’t gotten the flu, that’s great. That doesn’t mean you won’t get it this year. Flu virus strains change. The flu shot this year should protect you against the most common strains of the virus we expect to experience this year.
If you fear the shot or the momentary discomfort of getting a vaccine, worry instead about the possible consequences of not being vaccinated. Having the flu could put you at higher risk for pneumonia, heart attack, stroke, respiratory failure, and other serious and potential illnesses. Having the flu might also put you at higher risk for getting and having serious complications of COVID-19. If you have chronic health conditions, including diabetes or heart disease, it could put you at greater risk of complications and other illnesses.
In addition to getting the flu shot, we all still need to be washing our hands, covering our coughs and sneezes, and staying home from work or school if we are sick or feel sick.
Call your healthcare provider to schedule your flu shot. You might save your life or that of others. Visit our website and click on “Finder a Provider” to schedule your appointment by phone or online, or call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 1-888-569-1000.
