MYTH | "I got a flu shot but got the flu anyway."

• Other viruses have the same symptoms as flu. You may have caught one of these bugs and developed a “flu-like” illness after being vaccinated.
• You may have become infected by a strain of flu virus not covered by the current year’s vaccine.

MYTH | “My immune system is strong, so I don’t need the vaccine.”

• Symptoms of the flu are sometimes very mild.
• One study showed that half of the people infected with the flu virus had such mild symptoms that they didn’t even know they were sick and spreading the virus to others.

MYTH | : “I never get the flu, so I don’t need the vaccine.”

• A study of unvaccinated nurses showed many had developed a new antibody to a strain of flu but never reported being ill. Many even went to work because they didn’t feel sick.
• Even though you don’t have flu symptoms, you can spread flu virus to others for up to a week.

MYTH | “The flu shot made me sick.”

• Redness, swelling and soreness at the injection site occurs in about 15-20 percent of vaccinations. It usually lasts only a couple of days.
• Fever, chills and muscle pain occur in less than one percent of vaccinations.
• Allergic reactions are rare and usually are related to the residual egg protein used to create the vaccine.

MYTH | “I can’t have the flu shot because I am pregnant.”

• If a pregnant woman catches the flu, her risk of hospitalization is four times higher compared to non-pregnant women!
• Vaccination with inactivated flu vaccine is recommended for all women who are pregnant during flu season.
• You can get a seasonal flu vaccine any time during your pregnancy.
• Pregnant women are at higher risk for potential complications from the H1N1 flu virus. Once the vaccine becomes available, pregnant women should get the H1N1 vaccine.