It’s about that time again, flu season. Before you run to get yourself vaccinated, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I under 18 years old?
- Am I over 50 years old?
- Am I chronically ill?
- Do I have a weak immune system? (This also includes getting the flu all the time.)
- Do I take care of someone with a weakened immune system?
- If I know someone with a weakened immune system, would I be visiting them?
If you answer “Yes” to any of the above questions, you should be vaccinated. If you answer “No”, then you’re relatively healthy and may not need a vaccination.
If you have any children between 6 months and 18 years old, it is highly recommended they are vaccinated because in a 2005 Harvard study, death rates among the elderly increased a few weeks after flu-ridden children began to visit clinics. As a result, it is suggested that if children were vaccinated, lives could be saved.
“If [children] are immunized, they don’t become the source of illness,” Edmonson said.
Source: Post-Bulletin