Common Myths About Flu Shots Busted By Assisted Living Facilities In AZ

With the transition from fall to the winter season, the flu season also returns. As per experts, the best way to avoid being bitten by the bug is by getting an influenza vaccine but not all older adults believe that to be true. There are a few myths associated with flu shots which keep older adults from getting vaccinated which can be dangerous. As per estimates, 75 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and well over half of all seasonal flu-related hospitalizations are people over 65 years of age. If you have senior family members who are suffering from mobility issues, it is advisable to opt for an assisted facility for 24x7 care and support for your loved one. If you are a resident of the Phoenix region in Arizona, you can approach Anthem Senior Living which is an award-winning assisted living Anthem facility in the region. Our suites are well-furnished and affordable. We are going to bust a few myths today about the flu shots and flu season:

Myth 1: A flu shot gives a small dose of the virus in order to help building up one’s immunity to it.

Fact- This is a very deadly myth about flu shot. There are many senior people who have the wrong notion that if they get the vaccine, they are most likely to develop the flu. As per the opinion of the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is untrue. As per the experts, the virus in the flu shot is inactivated so there is no way a person will get sick from an inactive virus.

Myth 2: A flu shot in October is too early, waiting until December and January means you will be protected for the whole season.

Fact- The true fact is that flu shots are very much effective in helping to prevent the virus for the whole year. But experts advise getting the vaccine in October which will give the vaccine time to work prior to the beginning of the worst of flu season.

Myth 3: There is not much change in flu vaccines year to year, so you don’t really need to get the vaccine each fall.

Fact- The true fact is that the formula changes every year, it is re-formulated to target strains of the flu.

Myth 4: Not feeling sick and not exhibiting flu-like symptoms means you can’t spread the virus.

Fact- This is a very dangerous myth especially for older adults. Family caregivers may not take much time in getting their flu shot which can lead to the virus to pass on to a senior person unintentionally whose immune system may be compromised. Lack of symptoms does not mean that there is no virus present because 20 to 30 percent of people who have the influenza virus do not exhibit any outward signs of it.

At Anthem Senior Living, flu safety is one of the many health topics we make our residents aware of. We also talk about other aging-related issues like stroke prevention, strength training, healthy habits for older adults on a regular basis, how to make new friends in the retirement years, so on and so forth. The senior health challenges that we work with are dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy Bodies Dementia, high blood pressure, companionship care, wound care, bed bound patients, Feeding Tubes/Picc Lines, heart disease, cancer, Arthritis, respiratory diseases, diabetes, falls, depression, etc.