Question: Do I really need a flu shot? I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day.
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
No one NEEDS a flu shot. But federal officials recommend that we all (with few exceptions) get a yearly flu shot until we have better treatments for influenza. They are the only way we have of limiting the spread of influenza.
The flu vaccine actually primes your immune system so it can attack the virus with preformed antibodies without a delay that would be present were it not for the vaccination. This gives us a significant advantage and less serious complications should we be exposed to the flu virus.
While it is still possible to contract the flu after vaccination, the disease is usually much milder and of significantly shorter duration. In addition, because the flu vaccine is a pooled vaccine, even if the strain that spreads around the community is not the strain in the vaccine, there is still considerable protection.
Unfortunately the antibodies only last for three to six months, so annual vaccination is required for influenza protection. There is evidence that annual influenza vaccine may offer a cumulative benefit when taken annually
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