I study infectious diseases for a living. I’m also a mom of three kids. So every fall, I schedule an appointment with the pediatrician for my youngest and drag the older kids with me to a pharmacy, and we all get our flu shots. I do this even though I know that, most years, the vaccine is generally only about 40 to 60 percent effective at preventing the development of illness from the influenza virus.
These stats make some people wonder, so why bother?
For anyone skeptical about getting a flu shot due to its shortcomings, there are two things you should think about: influenza vaccination is not just about protecting yourself against acute infection, but also from ongoing complications if you do fall ill. Secondly, it’s not just about you.
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