Get The Tea About The Flu Shot

This post is in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Wondering if you should get your flu shot this year? The answer is YES! I don’t know if you’ve been awake for the past 8 months but there is a whole pandemic outside. It’s time to protect yourself against respiratory illnesses: flu viruses and COVID-19. If you haven’t already, here are six reasons you need to get your flu vaccine this year:

1. It can protect you from getting infected with the flu.
2. It can keep you from passing the flu on to someone who is greatly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.
3. It can help make your illness less severe if you do get sick with the flu.
4. It is likely the number of COVID-19 cases will increase during flu season.
5. Even mild flu may make you more susceptible to becoming infected with COVID-19.
6. Being infected with COVID-19 at the same time as the flu may negatively impact your recovery.

So, how does the flu shot work? When you get a flu shot, the vaccine is usually injected into your arm. The vaccine triggers an immune response in your body. The coolest part is that even though the virus is inactive, your body still reacts by building antibodies that fight these specific flu strains.

Oh, and don’t be alarmed when your arm hurts the next day. When I got vaccinated, the next morning it felt like my first-time doing dumbbell curls in the gym (ouch!). Don’t worry y’all, the majority of people have no problem with the flu shot.

Get yourself and your family vaccinated! A yearly flu vaccine is the first step in the fight against flu viruses. #GotMIVax