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Brace yourselves: Flu season is coming. And along with the coughing, fevers and aches, you can expect a lot of unreliable or downright wrong information about the flu vaccine.


Many people underestimate the health risks from flu. Thousands of Americans die from flu-related complications in a typical year, and last season's 

 particularly hard.
Flu and pneumonia combined consistently rank among the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was 

 the most recent year for which data are available.


Getting a shot (or an immunizing spritz up the nose) isn't a perfect defense against flu. Some years the strains used to make vaccines aren't a good match for the type of flu that eventually strikes. But vaccination remains the most reliable way to reduce the risk for illness.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

 that everyone 6 months of age and older gets vaccinated against flu every year, with rare exceptions, such as those with severe, 

 to flu vaccine ingredients or potentially those with a 

 following a previous flu shot.
The options for the flu vaccine this year include a 

 strains the World Health Organization predicts will be circulating. There are also shots that include protection against 

. And adults ages 65 and have the option to get a 

Traditionally, flu vaccines have been made using chicken eggs, but new technologies have led to two relatively new vaccines without a trace of egg.

The nasal spray uses four live flu virus strains that have been weakened. The CDC recommends kids ages 2 to 8 get the spray instead of the shot when available, though healthy adults up to age 49 can also get the spray. The live-flu vaccine isn't recommended for pregnant women, older adults and people whose immune systems are compromised.


Now is when doctor's offices, drugstores and many companies offer vaccinations in preparation for the 

, which typically lasts from October to April.


So it seemed like the right time to round up a list of common misconceptions about the flu vaccine and some information to set them straight.


Each fact links to a more detailed explanation on 

, a blog where I write about parenting, health and science. Those posts contain links to peer-reviewed research and other sources.


If you have specific questions about vaccination, including which type of vaccine is appropriate for you, consult your doctor or other health professional.

: You should fear Ebola more than the flu.


Fact: Flu kills more people in a year in the U.S. than Ebola has killed in the history of the world. 

: You don't need the flu vaccine this year if you got it last year.


Fact: You need a new flu shot each year because the circulating strains change and immunity from the vaccine fades.

: The flu shot is a "one size fits all" approach that doesn't make sense for everyone.


Fact: You have many flu vaccine options, such as the shot, including egg-free versions, and a nasal spray.

: The flu shot makes some people able to only walk backward.


Fact: The condition of a young woman who could apparently only walk backward after getting a flu shot was found to be psychological, not neurological.

Fact: Thousands of people die from flu in the U.S. in a typical year, including more than 20,000 in the 2006-2007 season.

Fact: The flu shot can't give you the flu because the virus it contains has been inactivated or severely weakened.

: Flu vaccines contain dangerous ingredients, such as mercury, formaldehyde and antifreeze.


Fact: Flu shot ingredients are safe, but people with allergies to ingredients in some vaccines, such as gelatin, should avoid vaccines with those ingredients.

: Pregnant women shouldn't get the flu vaccine.


Fact: Because influenza can cause miscarriages, pregnant women should get vaccinated against flu to lower the miscarriage risk.

: Flu vaccines can cause Alzheimer's disease.


Fact: There is no link between flu vaccination and Alzheimer's; flu vaccines protect older adults who are at increased risk for flu-related health consequences.

: Pharmaceutical companies make a massive profit off flu vaccines.


Fact: They're a tiny source of profit and are made by only a handful of companies.

Fact: Flu vaccines reduce the risk of flu, though their effectiveness in any particular year varies.

Fact: Flu vaccines effectively reduce the risk of flu for children ages 6 months and up.

: Flu vaccines make it easier for people to catch pneumonia or other infectious diseases.


Fact: Flu vaccines reduce the risk of pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses or complications from the flu.

: Flu vaccines cause heart problems and strokes.


Fact: Flu shots reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events.

: Flu vaccines can damage a protective barrier between the blood and the brain in young children, hindering their development.


Fact: Flu vaccines have been found safe for children 6 months and older.

Fact: A European vaccine against the swine flu in 2009 was linked to narcolepsy, but the U.S. seasonal flu vaccine does not cause narcolepsy.

: The flu vaccine weakens your body's immune response.


Fact: The flu vaccine prepares your immune system to fight influenza by stimulating antibody production

: The flu vaccine causes nerve disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.


Fact: Only the 1976 swine flu vaccine was linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, and influenza is more likely to cause the nerve disorder than the flu vaccine; the CDC says those with the Guillain-Barré should consult a doctor before getting the flu shot.

: The flu vaccine can cause neurological disorders.


Fact: Neurological side effects linked to flu vaccination are extremely rare (see Myth #18); children with neurological disorders are actually at the highest risk for flu complications.

: Influenza isn't that bad. Or, people recover quickly from it.


Fact: Influenza can cause fever, muscle aches, cough, headaches and a sore throat for one to two weeks.

: People don't die from the flu unless they have another underlying condition already.


Fact: Otherwise healthy people do die from the flu. The elderly and young children are most vulnerable

: People with egg allergies can't get vaccinated against flu.


Fact: People with egg allergies can get a flu shot but should consult their doctor or allergist on options if their allergy is severe.

: If I get the flu, antibiotics will help me get better.


Fact: Antibiotics can't treat a viral infection.

: The flu shot doesn't work for me, personally, because last time I got it, I got the flu anyway.


Fact: The flu shot cannot offer 100 percent protection against the flu, but it reduces your risk of getting it. Many people mistake symptoms from colds and other illnesses for the flu

: I never get the flu, so I don't need the shot.


Fact: You can't predict whether you'll get the flu.

An earlier version of this post said that a high-dose flu shot is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for older adults. The shot is an option, but the CDC hasn't expressed a preference for it over the standard shot.

Tara Haelle

Author

Brace yourselves: Flu season is coming. And along with the coughing, fevers and aches, you can expect a lot of unreliable or downright wrong information about the flu vaccine.


32 myths about the flu vaccine

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