Flu Jab 2019: Should You Or Should You Not Get A Flu Jab?

Many people today are clamoring to get a flu jab 2019. This is due to the prevalence of flu during the cold season. Many cases start in October and would often last until January the following year. Sometimes, it could run until March. With a lot of people at risk of an infection, the only recourse they often have is getting a flu jab.

What Is A Flu Jab?

A flu jab is a vaccination that is comprised of the strains of influenza that are circulating at a specific time. Patients are injected with the vaccine. They are the ones who are typically vulnerable to flu complications.

The elderly, including their carers, are among those who are often at risk of flu complications and would need a flu jab 2019. Those who suffer from chronic illnesses are also prone to such complications.

Below is a shortlist of the groups of individuals who must have a flu jab:

· Pregnant women
· Elderly (65 and above)
· Suffering from chronic ailments
· Carers of the elderly
· Staff in residential care homes
· Social health workers

Is Flu Jab Necessary?

The necessity of getting a flu jab would highly depend on the level of resistance of an individual against illnesses. Less vulnerable people could overcome flu in just a matter of one week. On the other hand, those who are considered vulnerable could suffer from a lifelong disability. In worse cases, it could even lead to death.

The most common symptoms of the flu are people becoming bedridden for a month. There’s fever, aches in various parts of the body, and a sore throat. Getting a flu jab can help in freeing you from the pains that flu can bring.

Flu Statistics

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that from 2017 to 2018, 79, 400 people died from flu. The number of those hospitalized was higher at 959,134, almost a million. As to those who contracted the ailment, it reached a staggering 48 million people.

It’s the elderly who suffer most from the flu. Out of the 79,400 who died, 68,448 belong to the 65 and older age bracket.

While the number may be worrisome, a flu jab can certainly help in preventing the worst complications of flu. It is good to know that during the 2016 to 2017 season, about 85,000 flu-related hospitalizations were prevented by a flu jab.