Getting a yearly flu shot is a regular part of the fall for many people. Regardless of if you routinely get vaccinated against the seasonal flu, it may be more important than ever to make sure to get your flu shot. With the strain thecoronavirus pandemicput on the health care system, anything you can do to stay healthy during cold and flu season is important. We dug into the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations about flu vaccines and talked to Amira Roess, Ph.D, M.P.H.,infectious disease specialist at George Mason University, to learn about what you can do to make your flu shot as effective as it can be.
5 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy Through Cold & Flu Season
Benefits of the Getting a Flu Shot
Nobody likes getting sick, but there are several benefits to getting a flu shot beyond lowering your chance of catching a bug. Not getting the flu can save you the flu-related visits to the doctor’s office, which can help make room for other people who need care. It can alsoreduce the transmissionof the flu to high-risk individuals, like children, working-age adults and older adults. It also helps protect pregnant women during and after pregnancy. For even more incentive,studieshave shown that getting vaccinated can reduce the severity of symptoms even if you do come down with the flu.
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Who Should Get a Flu Shot
TheCDC recommendsthat anyone over the age of 6 months should get a flu vaccine each year with somerare exceptions. Getting a flu shot is especially important if you are someone who is athigh risk for complicationsassociated with the flu, such as adults 65 and older and those with chronic illnesses like asthma, heart disease and diabetes. There are even different types of flu vaccines approved specifically for children as young as 6 months and adults over 65 years old. Ask your doctor if you are interested in learning more.
4 Things You Can Do to Make Your Flu Shot More Effective
Though you should get a flu shot regardless if you’re able, these are four factors that can make it as effective as possible this year.
1. Time It Right
But why is timing so important? ″It takes about two weeks from the time you receive your flu vaccine for your body to develop enough antibodies to protect you from the flu,″ elaborates Roess, ″If you get it too late, then your body may not have enough time to develop enough antibodies to protect you."
2. Get Enough Sleep
Another way to ensure your immune system is in tip-top shape to make the most of the flu shot is to get plenty of shut-eye. Matt Walker, sleep scientist, author and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, stated in aTED Talkthat those who are not getting adequate sleep are three times more likely to come down with a cold than those getting more than seven hours a night. He references a study inInternational Journal of Behavioral Medicinewhere those who did not get more than five hours of sleep per night leading up to their flu shot made thevaccine only half as effectiveas those who had adequate sleep. He explains that our immune system repairs and builds itself while we sleep, so it is less equipped to utilize a vaccine when we aren’t catching enough zzz’s.
Getting plenty of exercise is another way to make sure your body is healthy and ready for the flu vaccine. Staying physically fit and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce your risk of chronic illness, which can make you more susceptible to complications of the flu. Additionally, a study in theJournal of the American Geriatric Societyfound that regular cardiovascular exercise improved people’s responses to the flu vaccine over a 10-month trial.
4. Keep Your Gut Healthy
While no foods give you an immediate immunity ″boost," eating a healthy diet can help support a healthy immune system. Specific foods, particularlyprobiotics, can play an especially important role in keeping you healthy and able to fight off a bug. Be sure to work in lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, yogurt and fermented foods, like kimchi and sauerkraut, to keep your body nourished to make the most of the flu vaccine.
Bottom Line
The flu shot is really important for staying healthy through the changing seasons, especially this year. Timing of your vaccination and an overall healthy lifestyle can help you get the most effective prevention. “Getting an adequate amount of sleep (6-9 hours depending on your needs), staying physically active, stayinghydratedand eating healthy foods will boost your overall health, including your immune system,” said Roess. She also added that it is important to keep your hands clean and away from your face, especially when you are out in public. Frequent hand-washing and disinfecting high-touch surfaces can help prevent the spread of any disease, including the seasonal flu.
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