You've probably heard most of the reasons people give for not getting a flu shot.

'I've never gotten one and I've never gotten the flu.'

'The one time I got a flu shot, it gave me the flu!'

'Oh I probably will...when I get the time.'

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But maybe the one you've heard the most is in the form of a question: 'Do those flu shots really work?'

Well, yes. Kind of. According to the Centers For Disease Control, the effectiveness rate is between 40%-60%.

There's a lot of reasons that some flu seasons, the shot works better (or worse) than others. There are different strains of the flu virus, so this is not an exact science. Every case of the flu will not be prevented, but yes, you should get a flu shot.

Experts say there are certain groups of folks who really should get the vaccine. They include the elderly (ahem), pregnant women, folks with underlying conditions and the little ones, too. And they add, if you do get the flu after getting the vaccine, it won't be as bad or last as long.

So yes, I got my flu shot.

 

 

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