It's Never Too Late For a Flu Shot 


With a swine flu pandemic swirling about, many of us were lining up to get a flu shot last year. Although the hype isn’t nearly as big this fall, healthcare professionals are still urging Americans to get their flu shots this year.

“I’m concerned that many people are staying away because of myths about influenza and the vaccine,” says David Wendt, MD of Lakewood Medical Associates, Beachcliff. “Flu shots save lives, particularly for those whom are most vulnerable.”

Although the 2009-10 flu season was not as bad as predicted, consider that 270,000 were hospitalized with flu and 1,478 died, including about 1,280 of children.

Those are sobering numbers. Yet some people, who remain cynical about government and authority, do not want to be told that they need a flu shot and avoid getting the vaccine. And others remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the flu shot, including the belief that the vaccine can give you the flu.

“The vaccine can’t give you the flu, although in a few cases it can cause flu-like symptoms,” says Dr. Wendt. “Overall, the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks.” It is estimated that a flu shot is between 70 and 90 percent effective in warding off influenza in healthy people under age 65.

This year’s flu shot is a three-in-one vaccine that protects not only against H1N1 (swine flu), but also two strains of seasonal flu. And, for the first time, the CDC recommends that everyone six months and older (not just the medically vulnerable) receive the vaccination.

“A flu shot is particularly important for high-risk groups, including children, those 65 and over, pregnant women and anyone with an underlying condition that weakens the immune system,” says Dr. Wendt. “In addition, anyone caring for a child six months and under should get a shot, since infants cannot be vaccinated.”

So, if you haven’t yet gotten your flu shot, Dr. Wendt says that it’s never too late to get vaccinated.

Flu activity usually peaks in January, February, and March, and winds down in May.

“Even toward the end of flu season, it’s worth getting the shot,” he says. “The sooner you get it, the sooner you're protected.”

Dr. Wendt is board-certified in family medicine. His office is located in the Lakewood Medical Associates, Beachcliff, 19324 Detroit Avenue, Rocky River. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Wendt, call 440.356.3640.