NN+Vaccine

When should you get the flu vaccine? You should get the flu vaccine in the fall, at least two weeks before flu season begins, which could be as early as October.

There are small side effects of the vaccine they include:
 * soreness at injection site
 * low fever
 * aches

There are two types of the flu vaccine:
 * Shot: The shot is made of dead viruses. The shot consists of the most common types of flu virus throughout the world. The vaccine teaches the immune system how to respond if the immune system sees any of the viruses again.
 * Nasal Spray: The viruses used in the nasal spray are generally reactivated. The nasal spray works similar to the shot in that it teaches the immune system how to recognize and destroy the flu antigens.

SO WHY SHOULD YOU GET THE FLU VACCINE?
 * 1) To keep from getting the flu yourself. The flu can keep you out of school or work for over a week, and it can lead to even worse diseases (see complications for more). Also, who wants to get the flu? You feel crappy and you can't do anything. So protect yourself from the flu.
 * 2) To prevent spreading the flu to someone who is at higher risk of getting the flu. Even if you aren't sick, you can still pass the virus on to someone else.
 * 3) If you are 65 or older, or you are an infant/have an infant you should get the flu vaccine because the flu is most serious for those age groups. An elderly person's immune system may not react fast enough to prevent serious damage, and an infant's immune system will overreact. Infants are also at a high risk of developing Reye's Syndrome, a potentially deadly disease.

WARNING
If you are allergic to eggs, do not get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is made in chicken eggs, and if you are allergic to eggs, that has some obvious problems.