Does The Flu Jab Give You The Flu?

Does The Flu Jab Give You The Flu?

There are many old wives tales surrounding the flu jab, so RXLive Pharmacy explore in this article – does the flu jab give you the flu? With flu season officially upon us, pharmacies all over the UK are promoting their flu jabs, but many people are often concerned that the flu jab will make them ill.

The Flu Jab Will Give You The Flu

False – It’s impossible to get flu from the flu vaccine because the adult vaccine doesn’t contain live viruses. Anyone who does get ill after the flu jab will have had the virus inside his or her body before getting the jab!

The Flu Jab Will Give You Bad Side Effects

It is true that a small number of people can experience side effects such as headache or muscle pain. But only a handful of patients experience this, as this is the body’s immunity recognising the vaccine and creating a reaction. Although these symptoms can be uncomfortable, they will usually disappear within days after the injection, and most people do not feel much more than an achy arm.

The Flu Jab Doesn’t Work

Many people are convinced that the flu jab isn’t effective enough to warrant getting one. However, reports have proven that the jabs are 70-90% effective at preventing the flu, and even for those who do get ill, the vaccine provides at least partial protection, reducing the rates of hospitalisation for flu complications.

The Flu Jab Can Cause Autism

One common misconception is that the flu jab is linked to autism. This old wives tale first surfaced because of thimerosal, a form of mercury used as a vaccine preservative, which was alleged to be linked to autism but has since proven unrelated. Thimerosal was still removed from all childhood vaccines as a precaution and most, but not all, flu shots in 2001. Although thimerosal is no longer in childhood vaccines, autism rates have gone up, which is the opposite of what would be expected if the preservative caused autism.

Should You Get The Flu Jab?

RXLive Pharmacy’s Founder and Pharmacy Director, Shahil Patel said; “The flu jab is definitely something that I recommend, particularly to over 60’s who are more vulnerable to getting the flu during winter months.”

When you get the flu jab, you’re helping to protect people you come in contact with (such as small children or the elderly) who have weaker immune systems, so it really is a win-win for everyone!

RXLive Pharmacy are a free repeat prescription delivery service and therefore do not provide the flu jab. However, if you are interested in trying out of completely free service to ensure you never have to collect your prescription again, you can find out more and sign up here!