It’s that time of year when those around you might frequently ask the question, “Did you get your flu shot yet?,” and it’s for good reason.
Although cases of influenza are reported throughout the year in the United States, the height of flu activity occurs between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, not everyone chooses to get vaccinated – a decision that could prove fatal. Approximately 80,000 Americans died from the flu and related complications during the winter of 2017-2018, the CDC reported.
It doesn’t help that misconceptions surrounding the potentially life-saving flu vaccine are common.
About 51 percent of primary care physicians in the U.S. believe confusion exists around flu shots for patients who decline them, according to data from InCrowd, a real-time market insights technology company serving healthcare and pharmaceutical firms.
“Most of the misconceptions about flu vaccines are due to the fact that most people don’t really know what influenza is,” said northern California-based internal medicine physician Dr. David Belk.