Seniors Reminded to Get Their Flu Shots

For this week’s senior living segment we focus on flu shots for seniors.

It’s flu season, and LeFave Pharmacy is currently accepting seniors who want to get their flu shot. Pharmacist, Mike Lamb said it’s important for seniors to get flu shots to help build up their immune systems.

“It’s important this year for seniors to get their flu vaccine, the earlier the better. Seniors have been known to have a lower immune system, so does children so you want to build that immunity towards the flu to actually have a proper protection against the flu virus when you come in contact with it,” Lamb explained.

So far the pharmacy has done over 1000 flu shots this year.

“Our pharmacy alone for Alpena, we’ve probably done over 1000 flu shots since the end of August. So here we are two in the half months out, and we’ve done about 1000 and majority of those were seniors,” Lamb claimed.

Flu season ranges from October to march…sometimes in April. The flu shot can protect you for up to a year.

“The flu vaccine will be effective throughout the full year. The CDC actually fines that the flu shot is effective for about a year in the half, up to two years sometimes. But you get your peak protection within the first year…8 months. So if you get your flu shot in August you will be protected from that time frame of the end of October through March,” Lamb said.

Signs of the flu includes fever, chills, cough and more.

“If you do come down with the flu this season whether you get the flu shot or not, you want to look for muscle aches, fever, those are the two tell signs of the flu. If you get to your doctor earlier enough they can prescribe medication for the virus. It will help weaken the symptoms so they aren’t as strong and so you don’t feel as bad. Rest and drinking plenty of fluid and over the counter medication can help with the symptoms to relieve the symptoms,” Lamb said.

There are myths that the flu shot can cause you to get sick, but Lamb reassures those who are worried that’s not the case.

“The common myth is that people get sick from the flu vaccine, that’s not the case. The case is the vaccine is inactivated vaccine so you can’t get sick. You will build proper antibodies for that string of flu vaccine you are getting and you will be protected throughout the year. It takes about two weeks as you build immune response to that vaccine, so after two weeks you should be fully protected,” Lamb declared.