As flu season slowly gets into full swing, the Illinois Department of Public Health is looking to dispel myths about the flu vaccine.
One major misconception about the flu shot is that it will actually give people the flu. But Public Health Director Doctor Ngozi Ezike says that isn’t true, and that the flu vaccine contains inactive strains of the virus.
“It cannot cause the actual flu illness. There are reports that some people will have a mild reaction to having the flu vaccine, but the flu shot will not give you the flu.”
Some people say they rarely get sick or that they just do not need it. Ezike says people who are highly tolerant to the flu should still consider getting vaccinated for the protection of others.
“If you were to get a mild case of the flu that maybe didn’t keep you in bed or cause you to miss work or school, you still might be carrying the virus that could be passed on to someone that is maybe too young to be vaccinated or very old and infirm that could get a serious illness and related complications from your mild illness.”
Ezike said that if someone does get sick after receiving the vaccine, that they were likely already exposed to the virus, before getting the shot.