Should I Get the Flu Shot?

Each year, as fall rolls around, many people wonder if they should get the flu shot. According to the Center for Disease Control the answer is ‘yes’. In 2010, the CDC revised their recommendations to say that everyone should get the flu shot every year.
Some reading online however quickly finds a number of people who disagree with the CDC, some of whom even feel the flu shot is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
For the layman it can be very difficult to sort through the conflicting information to figure out what the reality of the situation is. Part of the problem is that it is impossible to have concrete information on how effective the flu shot is, and what kind of protection it provides.
Each year, scientists make a new flu shot, designed to protect against the 3 strains of flu that they think will infect the most people over the next year. In years that the scientists pick the right strains to protect against, the flu shot can be highly effective. In years when they pick the wrong flu strains, you might as well not get the shot. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know if they designed the flu shot to protect against the right flu strains until after flu season is almost over.
The flu shot is one of the safer vaccines available, with very few side effects, and those side effects generally minor. Some researchers believe that taking the flu shot repeatedly may lead to long term health problems.
Some people definitely should not get the flu shot. People with allergies to eggs, who have had a bad reaction to a previous flu shot or who have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome should not get the flu shot.
Children under 5 years old, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with many chronic illnesses are more likely to develop severe and possibly life threatening complications if they get sick with the flu, and should definitely get the flu shot. People who work or live with those who are at risk for complications should also get the flu shot.
For everyone else, if you are comfortable with vaccines and do not believe there is any reason for concern, follow the CDC recommendation and get a flu shot. If you have concerns about vaccines you will need to decide for yourself which risk you wish to take, the risk of getting the flu and possible complications or the risk of possible side effects.