BUFFALO, N.Y. — The nation's top doctors all say October is the best time to get a flu shot.
Even though we're near the end of the month, there's still plenty of time this season to get vaccinated.
Some people, though, might be hesitant, pointing to a lot of misconceptions about the vaccine.
Here are the five most common myths, according to the CDC and UB Chief of Infectious Disease, Dr. Thomas Russo.
Myth 1: The flu shot will make you sick
Answer: False
"The flu vaccine does not make you sick and you cannot catch the flu from the vaccine," said Russo. "You may have a little bit of soreness at the site of vaccination and feel off for 24 hours, but other than that, you'll be fine."
Myth 2: You can still catch the flu after you're vaccinated
Answer: True
"The flu vaccine is not perfect," Russo said. "Efficacy ranges everywhere from 35 percent to 50 percent, so it is possible that you can catch the flu after you're vaccinated; however, if you are vaccinated, you're much less likely to be severely ill, less likely to be hospitalized, and less likely to have a bad outcome."
Myth 3: Healthy people don't need a flu vaccine
Answer: False
"Even though healthy people are less likely to have a bad outcome if they're infected with the flu, they serve as an important factor of infecting other individuals that are more vulnerable and might not do as well, and this is particularly true with children," Russo said.
Myth 4: It's better to get the flu than the vaccine
Answer: False
"The vaccination is safe and gives you a significant chance of not getting the flu or being ill that year," Russo said.
Myth 5: The flu vaccine increases my risk for COVID-19
Answer: False
On it's website the CDC says there is no evidence that getting a flu vaccination increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19
Both Russo and the CDC urge people to get vaccinated, especially this year given the state of the current pandemic.
"Flu and COVID have very similar symptoms and is going to cause significant stress on our healthcare system, and testing confusion, if we don't get enough vaccinated and try and keep the number of new influenza cases to a minimum this year in Western New York," Russo said.
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