These Myths Don't Make Any Sense

With flu season already underway, millions of Americans are deciding when — or if — to get their flu vaccine.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

The vaccine remains the best defense against the most prominent strains of the influenza virus, an illness that kills more than 35,000 Americans annually. But every year, more than half of the population refuses to get the shot.

"While [the shot] is not perfect, it’s definitely better than just taking your chances," Brian Jones, M.D., a family medicine specialist on staff at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, told weather.com. "[The flu] is not just a short-term thing, and I think people tend to forget it."

(MORE: 9 Ways Fall Can Make You Sick)

Getting a flu shot should seem like a no-brainer, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over six months of age receive one, with very rare exceptions.

So why do people still refuse to get a flu shot? Click through for the top myths that shouldn't keep you from a vaccine.

Myth: The Vaccine Gives You the Flu

One of the most common reasons people refuse the flu shot is because they believe it actually gives them the flu. But flu vaccines, except for the new nasal sprays, do not include active forms of the virus, meaning they can’t infect you, according to the CDC.

"People will say ‘I had that shot 10 years ago, and I got sick, so I don’t want to get it now,'" said Dr. Jones. "Or 'my sister, brother or cousin had the shot and got sick and I don’t want it.'

"Often times they’ll make this conclusion because they got the shot and then later got ill. It’s flu season, people are going to get sick, and it’s more likely they got sick on the way to get the vaccine than they got it from the vaccine itself," said Dr. Jones. "But people make the association anyway, even though they don’t make the same connection when they get the vaccine and don’t get sick."

Myth: People Don't Die from the Flu

Some individuals worry that the vaccine's side effects are worse than the virus itself. Although in rare cases, patients will feel minor side effects, which might appear to be flu-like. These symptoms include soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given, and — in rare cases — low-grade fevers, headaches and muscle aches. These are extremely mild in comparison to the actual condition, and are not a direct side effect of the flu virus.

Many individuals also confuse the common cold with the flu — the illnesses are different, with the flu much more severe than a cold. Contrary to popular belief, people do die from the flu, about 35,000 every year. This figure includes children, healthy adults, expectant mother, seniors: People of all ages and health statuses.

Myth: It Doesn’t Work

The 2014-2015 vaccine caught a lot of heat for its low rate of efficacy; it prevented just 13 percent of illnesses caused by the dominant strain of the flu. and killed a high number of children under 5, more than 140 individuals, 90 percent of whom did not receive a flu shot. (Other strains of the flu were fought off more effectively.)

These low success rates can occur when the strain of influenza contained in the shot — there are either three or four, depending on the type of vaccine — does not match the type circulating the country. Last year's issues highlighted what we already know, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told weather.com last year.

“We have always known the flu vaccine is not a perfect vaccine, but it is the best that we have, so we should still all get it," he said.

Meanwhile, other vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), carry incredible success rates of more than 95 percent.

Myth: Young People Don’t Need It

Even young, healthy teens and adults can get sick and die from the flu, as the 2009 "swine flu," or H1N1 pandemic demonstrated. The 2013-2014 season showed this again this again. By February of that year, people aged 18 to 64, who normally don’t typically experience severe flu cases, represented 61 percent of flu hospitalizations. Deaths among this age group were higher than usual as well.

"I’m happy that people are healthy, and that they’re fortunate to not catch any illnesses, but the flu vaccine has no complications, and there’s no reason not to get it," said Dr. Jones. "If you’re in your car, you wear your seatbelt because a car wreck is possible, even if you haven’t had one. So you take that extra step to protect yourself. The flu shot is very much the same."

So even if you aren’t pregnant, elderly, young or living with a chronic condition, you still need a yearly flu vaccine.

Myth: Washing Your Hands Prevents the Flu

You might eat well, exercise regularly and receive yearly clean bills of health from your doctor. You could be in the best shape of your life and fall out of the high-risk demographics that need flu shots every year. And yes, proper hygiene practices such as washing your hands can help keep you healthy.

But even healthy people need a flu vaccine, says the CDC. Influenza is highly contagious and can easily attack anyone.

“For me, it's a no brainer. It's a decreased risk of having a potentially deadly disease," Wendy Sue Swanson, M.D., M.B.E., a pediatrician and the executive director of digital health at Seattle Children's Hospital, told weather.com earlier this year.

Myth: You Don’t Need One Every Year

The CDC recommends everyone get a flu shot each year. Why? Because each flu season is different. The dominant strain one year, for which you might be immunized, might not be the top illness-causing strain the next year. If you don't have the second year's shot, you're vulnerable.

Recently, some studies have questioned these recommendations. But the authors of the study and other experts remain firm: Get a flu shot. 

“In every scenario, it is better for people to be vaccinated than not vaccinated,” researcher Edward Belongia told StatNews.

Myth: Flu Shots Contain Dangerous Ingredients

People with egg allergies have long been told to avoid the shot. But for several years, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has reversed this recommendation, after thousands of individuals with egg allergies got the shot with no reaction.

Perhaps the most-debated ingredient in the vaccine are preservatives, such as thimerosal, which is only contained in the multidose vials on of the flu vaccine, according to the CDC. (You can request a singedose vial made without preservatives; the immunity is the same.)

Why is it so controversial? Thimerosal contains about 49 percent ethylmercury. That's not the kind of mercury found in fish that can build up in your body overtime, but it is the shot ingredient most likely to cause minor side effects, such as redness and swelling at the injection site.

The other worrisome one is the tiny amount of formaldehyde, or another inactivating ingredient, contained in the shot.

The FDA notes formaldehyde in this case is completely safe; it's produced naturally in the human body for a variety of normal functions, including amino acid production.

Myth: The Flu Shot Might Affect Pregnancy

Pregnant women need to protect themselves from all viruses, the flu included. In fact, getting the vaccine while pregnant can prompt benefits for the baby into the first six months of life. 

 Dr. Schaffner said the flu shot is particularly important for pregnant women, advice that runs contrary to the outdated beliefs of many.

Why? Pregnant women risk severe complications from the flu, which the vaccine can prevent, plus once they're vaccinated, they pass some of the immunity on to their unborn child, which can help guard the baby against the flu during the first six months of life. "Vaccine during pregnancy is safe and effective," Dr. Schaffner said.

Myth: It's Too Late to Get the Shot

Earlier is definitely better for the flu vaccine. It might sound logical to get it later to cover yourself during the worst months of the season, but the flu vaccine should last all season long, even if you get it in November or beyond.

MORE: Cold or Flu? 9 Ways to Tell the Difference