Should You Get The Swine Flu Vaccine?

When it comes to swine flu, also now referred to as the H1N1 virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the worst could be yet to come. They advise Americans to prepare for a large outbreak this fall and winter as children return to school and people spend more time congregating indoors.

Medical experts explain that the best way to prepare is to separate fiction from fact.

Myth 1. Swine flu is worse than seasonal flu.

To date, medical experts report that there is no data to back up this statement. That said, health officials are concerned because this is a strain of the flu that has never been seen before.

They stress that 36,000 people die annually in the U.S. from seasonal flu. The number of deaths from H1N1 in the U.S. is above 300 or about 1 percent of those who have been infected with the virus. Doctors note that H1N1 appears to be harder on pregnant women than seasonal flu and health experts are encouraging women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant to get vaccinated once immunization becomes available.

Myth 2. Health people don’t need to worry about swine flu.

This is absolutely wrong. Like seasonal flu, swine flue can infect anyone. Teens, young adults and pregnant women, who are not usually at high risk for developing complications from the regular flu, appear to be at risk for hospitalization and even death from swine flu.

Myth 3. You'll get the flu from taking the swine flu vaccine.

Doctors complain every year about this myth when the new version of the seasonal flu vaccine becomes available.

Some people feel as if they have gotten the flu from the flu vaccine because flu season occurs at the same time as cold season. They often confuse the common cold with the flu. Also, the low fever that some people experience after they’re inoculated with the flu vaccine is not a symptom of the flu, but a symptom of a healthy immune system fighting off an insult that has been introduced into the body.

Myth 4. Wearing a mask will protect me from swine flu.

Incorrect. Face masks are only good for a short amount of time. Once they become moist, which happens pretty quickly, they become ineffective.

Myth 5. Wash hands or use a hand sanitizer?

Washing is good. Hand sanitizers medical experts report can be better, Hand sanitizers have been shown to be very effective in killing the swine flu virus and should be used by people trying to avoid catching the virus. They should also be used by people who have the virus. That will help keep it from spreading to others.