Confessions of a Former Flu Shot Skeptic

Here's how to make yourself care about the flu shot.

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By Anisa Arsenault, Associate Editorial Director Over the weekend, I got my flu shot. My arm is sore, and for some reason, my armpit is really sore. But I have no regrets—and you're about to learn why. Today's Top Story Trust Me, You Need a Flu Shot This Year Full disclosure: I never used to get a flu shot.   Just like many people who are vaccine hesitant, in my teens and early twenties, my reservations about the flu shot were tied to one anecdote: A girl on my track team got the flu shot and proceeded to have a series of bad races.   Plus, my parents never got flu shots, and I was too indifferent to look into getting one at all.   Then I got the flu.   The winter after I graduated from college, the flu completely took me out. I missed three days of work—a bad look when you're the lowest on the totem pole at a new job—and I didn't have the ability to work from home. Not that I would've been able to. I remember sweating through my comforter, and eventually shuffling down the stairs of my five-floor walk up to buy some sherbet, since I couldn't swallow anything else.   This was the wake-up call I needed. Once I started paying attention, I noticed it's really quite easy to get a flu shot. I was fortunate enough to work for an employer that offered them in the office. And for the two years we've been out of a physical office, I've been able to make a same-day appointment at my local CVS.   Looking back, in high school, I just didn't know what I know now. My teammate's flu shot side effects—if they were even tied to the vaccine—were nothing compared to the sickness and even hospitalization that the actual flu can cause. And I was selfish to think my running performance mattered more than reducing my risk of transmitting the flu to someone else more vulnerable. Know More While last year's flu season was particularly mild thanks to so much social distancing and mask wearing, experts think this year's flu could return with a vengeance as people begin to return to "normal" and let their guards down. Feel Better The CDC has clear and comprehensive guidelines about who should get a flu shot and when. For example, if you recently had COVID-19 and are recovering at home, you should wait to get a flu shot until you meet the criteria for leaving isolation. And if you're ready to get a COVID-19 booster shot, the CDC says you can make things easy and get it on the same day as your flu shot. READ MORE While flu season is only just getting started, CDC data allowed us to create a heat map to see which states are currently experiencing the most influenza activity. When Air Freshener Turns Deadly The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recalling several aromatherapy sprays sold by Walmart after the products were linked to illnesses and deaths in the United States. CDC testing showed the Better Homes and Gardens sprays were contaminated with a bacteria responsible for a rare infection called melioidosis.   If you've used any of the below Better Homes and Gardens Gem Room Spray scents in the last 21 days, it's time to contact your doctor: • Lavender & Chamomile • Lemon and Mandarin • Lavender • Peppermint • Lime & Eucalyptus • Sandalwood and Vanilla READ MORE No Link Between Coffee and Breast Cancer Another day, another coffee study. This time, the findings are particularly good. After adjusting for a whole host of factors—from family and reproductive history to tobacco use—researchers feel confident that there's no link between caffeine consumption and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. But they still want you to get an annual mammogram. READ MORE   Lisa Doggett, MD, MPH, explains why flu shot side effects aren't worth worrying about. We have to remind people that COVID isn't the only virus to think about. I understand people's fear and concern that the flu shot can sometimes cause side effects. But usually, its effects are mild, and the shot does not—cannot—cause the flu. Lisa Doggett, MD, MPH Faculty member at the Dell Medical School of the University of Texas at Austin   Keep Reading   ■ 'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve's Climate Change Warning. The Daily Beast     ■ A New COVID Screening Tool: Hard Candy. The Columbus Dispatch     ■ What Is Bombogenesis? National Ocean Service More From Verywell Getting a Flu Shot When You're Pregnant READ MORE Preventing Asthma Attacks on the Run READ MORE What Happens During a Mini-Stroke? READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.       You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2021 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy