Helathy+4SummerFall2023spreadsfinal - Flipbook - Page 22
Flu vaccines
Your best shot at avoiding the flu
Who should—and shouldn’t—
get a flu shot?
The CDC recommends everyone six
months and older in the United States
should get a flu vaccine every season
with a few exceptions.
People who SHOULD NOT get a flu
shot include:
• Children younger than six months
of age
• People with severe, life-threatening
allergies to any ingredient in a flu
vaccine (other than egg proteins).
This may include gelatin, antibiotics,
or other ingredients.
• People who have had a severe
allergic reaction to the flu vaccine.
If you have had a severe allergic
reaction to a flu vaccine in the
past, talk with your health care
provider to help determine whether
vaccination is appropriate for you.
Tooth truths
• 20% of children aged 5 to 11 years have at
least one untreated cavity
• 13% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years have
at least one untreated cavity
• Nearly 100% of tooth decay is preventable
Source: Center for Disease Control
20 | HEALTHY+ | SUMMER–FALL 2023
W
hile people tend to mark the end of summer
in their own way—one last barbecue, closing
the pool, or a quick trip to the beach—there is
something that should be on everyone’s end-of-summer todo list: scheduling a flu shot.
The earlier the beer
According to Dr. Marie George, an infectious disease specialist
at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, “Influenza viruses
are present year-round, but cases tend to spike during the fall
and winter months. The exact timing and the nature of the
virus varies from year to year, making it hard to pinpoint a
‘best time’ to get a flu shot. That said, earlier is better.”
The reason for that is that it takes your body at least
two weeks from the time you get the shot to produce the
antibodies that will protect you from the projected flu strains.
In the case of children, some may need to get two vaccines
four weeks apart, which further extends the time to get the
full benefit of the vaccine.
George adds, “There’s no evidence to indicate getting the
shot in early September versus late October puts you at great
risk for getting the flu later in the season. This is particularly
great news for senior snowbirds, who should try to get their
shot before heading to their winter destination.”