After the deadly flu season in winter, infectious disease experts increase warnings: shots

There are many misconceptions about the flu shot.

But after a winter when more than 80,000 people died of influenza-related illnesses in the United States – the highest death rate in more than 40 years – infectious disease experts are redoubling their efforts to get the message across .

"Flu vaccination saves lives," surgeon general Jerome Adams told the crowd at a flu vaccine awareness event last week at the National Press Club in Washington. "vaccine every year."

But many Americans ignore this advice. The vaccination rate in the United States hovers around 47% per year. It's far from the 70% goal. And the students are among the least vaccinated.

"We have known for a long time that students have a particularly high risk of contracting and transmitting the flu virus," says Lisa Ipp, a specialist in adolescent medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Yet, on the campuses of American universities, influenza vaccination rates remain remarkably low," she wrote in an article published in 2017 by the National Foundation for Infectious Disease. The group sponsored a survey of students and found that only 8 to 39 percent of students were getting the vaccine.

So why do not people get the vaccine? The data from the college survey indicate a mixture of misperception and fear.

For example, among students who do not receive the vaccine, 36% say they are in good health and they do not need it, and 30% say they do not think the vaccine is effective. Then there is fear: 31% say they do not like needles.

So, let's do a reality test. If you're about to vaccinate against the flu, here are five ways to wring your arm.

1. You are vulnerable.

People aged 65 and over are at higher risk of influenza-related complications, but influenza can also affect young and healthy people. This is the case every year.

"The flu can sometimes take a young and healthy person and place it in the intensive care unit," says William Schaffner, medical director of NFID.

And even if it is not so bad, it is always bad. "If you catch the flu, you are [down] for about a week, "says Ipp to his college students.

Here's a sobering thought: Healthy children also die of the flu. According to the CDC, 172 American children and adolescents (under the age of 18) died of the flu last winter. 80% of them had not received a flu shot. And about half had no underlying illness before contracting the flu. In other words, they were healthy children.

And there's this: the flu does not just make you ugly. According to a study published this year, this can increase the risk of heart attack.

2. Getting a flu shot is your civic duty.

"Nobody wants to be the dreaded spreader," Schaffner said. But everyone has the flu of someone else. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have contracted the flu virus are contagious one day before they begin to feel sick and up to seven days later. (Watch our video on the contagion of the flu if you really need to be convinced!)

By getting a flu shot, you'll protect your family, friends and colleagues. "It's the socially correct thing to do," says Schaffner.

3. You can still catch the flu, but you will not be sick.

After the difficult season of last winter, some people are skeptical. They say: "I was vaccinated against the flu, but I still got the flu."

In fact, the 2017-18 season has been the deadliest in over 40 years. "We had a very vicious virus, the strain of H3N2 flu," says Schaffner.

And yes, it's true that the vaccine does not offer complete protection. The CDC estimates that influenza vaccination reduces the risk of acquiring the virus by about 40-60%. Think of it this way: if you catch the flu, the vaccine still provides some protection. This dampens the blow. "Your illness is likely to be milder," Schaffner said. You are less likely to get pneumonia, a major complication of the flu and less likely to be hospitalized.

4. Pregnant women who get the flu shot protect their baby from the flu.

Pregnant women must be vaccinated to protect themselves. The vaccine also provides protection after the birth of babies. "[Women] explains Schaffner, who can protect his baby for the first six months of life until his baby is sufficiently vaccinated.

5. you can not catch the flu with the flu vaccine.

It's always a common misperception: the idea that you can catch the flu with the flu vaccine.

The NFID-sponsored survey of college students found that nearly 60% of students seem to think the flu vaccine can cause the flu. "Of course, it's wrong," Schaffner says.

The most common side effects are a sore arm and maybe a small swelling. "A very small proportion of people, 1 to 2%, have a fever," says Schaffner. It's not the flu, he explains. "It's the body that reacts to the vaccine."

As the flu is unpredictable, it's too early to know what to expect this winter. But Schaffner has this advice: do not wait. "Now is the time to get vaccinated," he said.

If that does not move you, maybe a small reward will be. Student survey data found that incentives are a good idea. Think: free food, free entertainment or gift card for free coffee. Ipp found that about 60% of students said that this type of incentive would increase the likelihood of getting the flu shot.

Another way to push people? Make it very practical. On the campus of George Washington University, the medical director of the Student Health Center has organized pop-up windows on flu in places where students find themselves, such as the library. "We do not expect them to come to us," said Isabel Goldenberg.

For workers in offices, influenza clinics at the workplace can also be an effective way to encourage vaccination.

What about the use of social media to motivate people? "I had the flu, which was horrible," said Max Webb, a university student George Washington. He thinks that if people shared their flu stories, it could help push people on their social networks to get the flu shot.

And how would you name this campaign, did I ask Webb? "Tell the hell about the flu," replied Web. Or simply, # boo2flu.

A little catchy