Now's the time to think about flu shots

WPVI logo
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Now is the time to get vaccinated before flu season arrives
Now is the time to get vaccinated before flu season arrives: Rick Williams reports during Action News at 5pm on September 17, 2019.

Sunny September days may not seem the time to think about flu shots.



But it is.



Doctors say families should get vaccinated now, before flu spreads, since it takes 2 to 4 weeks to get peak immunity.



Vaccination won't guarantee you won't catch the flu, but it will protect against dangerous complications.



"Even normal, healthy young adults. older adults, children - even if they have no other problems - they can get really bad flu. They can be hospitalized. They can get really bad pneumonia; they can die - anybody can die," says Dr. Frank Esper, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Children's.



Very young or elderly people, or those with chronic conditions like heart or lung disease, have a higher risk of complications.



So the vaccine's even more important for them.



By the way, it's a myth the vaccine can give you the flu.



It only contains small bits of the virus

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.