You can catch the flu from the flu shot
YOU CAN’T, SERIOUSLY! “The flu vaccine is made with dead viral particles, and since the virus is not living, it can’t infect you,” explains Holly Phillips, M.D., a New York City internist and WCBS News medical contributor. This rumor probably appeared among with the nasal-spray version of the vaccine -FluMist- that does contain a version of live flu virus, but it can’t make you sick.
Young, healthy people don’t need to worry about the flu
“While it’s true that influenza is most threatening to the very young, the elderly, and people with underlying illnesses, it can still cause severe symptoms in otherwise healthy people,” says Dr. Phillips. So, that’s why it’s recommended to get the flu shot early in flu season. “The more people who get the shot, the more we cut down on the amount of influenza circulating in the population, which can protect your grandmother or child,” says Dr. Phillips.
