There are some things you just can’t avoid, like getting the flu. It’s even possible to have the flu even if vaccinated.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that vaccine protection varies from season to season, and also based on the age and health of the person receiving it, as well as the match between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation.The good news is for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated who may get the flu, there are things you can do to make the seasonal sickness and symptoms less cumbersome.
There are some things you just can’t avoid, like getting the flu. It’s even possible to have the flu even if vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that vaccine protection varies from season to season, and also based on the age and health of the person receiving it, as well as the match between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation.The good news is for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated who may get the flu, there are things you can do to make the seasonal sickness and symptoms less cumbersome.
1Don’t Expose Yourself to People in Flu High-Risk GroupsDave and Les Jacobs / Getty ImagesThe flucan make even the healthiest among us feel miserable. For some people, it can also be life-threatening. While healthy people can die from the flu, mostflu deathsoccur inhigh-risk groupswith compromised immune systems, including adults over the age of 65, children under age two, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with other chronic medical conditions.Since you can becontagious with the flufrom the day before symptoms start until five to seven days after you get sick, it’s important to be aware of who you come into contact with.
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Don’t Expose Yourself to People in Flu High-Risk GroupsDave and Les Jacobs / Getty ImagesThe flucan make even the healthiest among us feel miserable. For some people, it can also be life-threatening. While healthy people can die from the flu, mostflu deathsoccur inhigh-risk groupswith compromised immune systems, including adults over the age of 65, children under age two, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with other chronic medical conditions.Since you can becontagious with the flufrom the day before symptoms start until five to seven days after you get sick, it’s important to be aware of who you come into contact with.
Don’t Expose Yourself to People in Flu High-Risk Groups
Dave and Les Jacobs / Getty Images
The flucan make even the healthiest among us feel miserable. For some people, it can also be life-threatening. While healthy people can die from the flu, mostflu deathsoccur inhigh-risk groupswith compromised immune systems, including adults over the age of 65, children under age two, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with other chronic medical conditions.
Since you can becontagious with the flufrom the day before symptoms start until five to seven days after you get sick, it’s important to be aware of who you come into contact with.
2Don’t Go to the Hospital With the Flu Unless You Really Need ToMost people whogo to the hospital with flu symptomsdon’t need to be there. If your symptoms aren’t life-threatening and don’t need immediate treatment, you shouldn’t go to the emergency department. Each flu season, emergency departments get overcrowded because people head straight there when they think they might have the flu.Many people could get the same treatment (which would be faster and cheaper) from their primary healthcare provider or even an urgent care clinic. And most people don’t need medical treatment at all when they have the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There are times when a trip to the hospital with the flu is warranted. If you or your child are experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, or sudden dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention.Unfortunately, many people who go to the emergency department with flu symptoms don’t fall into these categories.
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Don’t Go to the Hospital With the Flu Unless You Really Need ToMost people whogo to the hospital with flu symptomsdon’t need to be there. If your symptoms aren’t life-threatening and don’t need immediate treatment, you shouldn’t go to the emergency department. Each flu season, emergency departments get overcrowded because people head straight there when they think they might have the flu.Many people could get the same treatment (which would be faster and cheaper) from their primary healthcare provider or even an urgent care clinic. And most people don’t need medical treatment at all when they have the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There are times when a trip to the hospital with the flu is warranted. If you or your child are experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, or sudden dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention.Unfortunately, many people who go to the emergency department with flu symptoms don’t fall into these categories.
Don’t Go to the Hospital With the Flu Unless You Really Need To
Most people whogo to the hospital with flu symptomsdon’t need to be there. If your symptoms aren’t life-threatening and don’t need immediate treatment, you shouldn’t go to the emergency department. Each flu season, emergency departments get overcrowded because people head straight there when they think they might have the flu.
Many people could get the same treatment (which would be faster and cheaper) from their primary healthcare provider or even an urgent care clinic. And most people don’t need medical treatment at all when they have the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are times when a trip to the hospital with the flu is warranted. If you or your child are experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, or sudden dizziness, you should seek immediate medical attention.Unfortunately, many people who go to the emergency department with flu symptoms don’t fall into these categories.
3Don’t Assume You Know When You Should See a Healthcare Provider for the FluNot everyone needs to seek medical treatment when they have the flu, but there are times when you should. If you aren’t having an emergency and don’t need to go to the hospital, you may still need to see your healthcare provider.Knowing what to watch for in yourself and your child when you have flu symptoms is important.
3
Don’t Assume You Know When You Should See a Healthcare Provider for the FluNot everyone needs to seek medical treatment when they have the flu, but there are times when you should. If you aren’t having an emergency and don’t need to go to the hospital, you may still need to see your healthcare provider.Knowing what to watch for in yourself and your child when you have flu symptoms is important.
Don’t Assume You Know When You Should See a Healthcare Provider for the Flu
Not everyone needs to seek medical treatment when they have the flu, but there are times when you should. If you aren’t having an emergency and don’t need to go to the hospital, you may still need to see your healthcare provider.
Knowing what to watch for in yourself and your child when you have flu symptoms is important.
4
Don’t Ask Your Healthcare Provider for Antibiotics for the Flu
If you have beendiagnosed with the flu, don’t push your healthcare provider to prescribe an antibiotic.
5Don’t Try to Continue Your Daily Activities With the FluWith few exceptions, you need tostay home when you have the flu. Not allowing yourself time to rest will increase the amount of time that it takes you to recover. You risk exposing other people to the virus (though this can even happen before you have symptoms).And of course, most people who attempt to work when they are sick are not very productive. So if you have the flu, stay home. Your coworkers will thank you.
5
Don’t Try to Continue Your Daily Activities With the FluWith few exceptions, you need tostay home when you have the flu. Not allowing yourself time to rest will increase the amount of time that it takes you to recover. You risk exposing other people to the virus (though this can even happen before you have symptoms).And of course, most people who attempt to work when they are sick are not very productive. So if you have the flu, stay home. Your coworkers will thank you.
Don’t Try to Continue Your Daily Activities With the Flu
With few exceptions, you need tostay home when you have the flu. Not allowing yourself time to rest will increase the amount of time that it takes you to recover. You risk exposing other people to the virus (though this can even happen before you have symptoms).And of course, most people who attempt to work when they are sick are not very productive. So if you have the flu, stay home. Your coworkers will thank you.
6
Don’t Diagnose Yourself With the Flu If You Have a Stomach Virus
7Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet About the FluScroll through your Facebook timeline, Twitter feed or just do a Google search and you will find all sorts of miracle cures and treatments for your flu symptoms. People share these articles and posts with little concern about whether or not they are accurate. If a friend shared it, it must be true, right?!Of course, that isn’t true. Anyone can post anything on the internet. Unfortunately, many of these claims can be not only inaccurate but also dangerous.
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Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet About the FluScroll through your Facebook timeline, Twitter feed or just do a Google search and you will find all sorts of miracle cures and treatments for your flu symptoms. People share these articles and posts with little concern about whether or not they are accurate. If a friend shared it, it must be true, right?!Of course, that isn’t true. Anyone can post anything on the internet. Unfortunately, many of these claims can be not only inaccurate but also dangerous.
Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet About the Flu
Scroll through your Facebook timeline, Twitter feed or just do a Google search and you will find all sorts of miracle cures and treatments for your flu symptoms. People share these articles and posts with little concern about whether or not they are accurate. If a friend shared it, it must be true, right?!
Of course, that isn’t true. Anyone can post anything on the internet. Unfortunately, many of these claims can be not only inaccurate but also dangerous.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine effectiveness: how well do flu vaccines work?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at higher risk of flu complications.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza (flu).Pedersen CJ, Quinn JV, Rogan DT, Yang S.Factors associated with influenza in an emergency department setting.J Emerg Med. 2019;56(5):478-483. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.12.012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu: what to do if you get sick.Food and Drug Administration.Warning: antibiotics don’t work for viruses like colds and the flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What you should know about flu antiviral drugs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Influenza antiviral medications: summary for clinicians.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Gastroenteritis.Larson HJ.The biggest pandemic risk? Viral misinformation.Nature. 2018;562(7727):309. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07034-4
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine effectiveness: how well do flu vaccines work?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at higher risk of flu complications.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza (flu).Pedersen CJ, Quinn JV, Rogan DT, Yang S.Factors associated with influenza in an emergency department setting.J Emerg Med. 2019;56(5):478-483. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.12.012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu: what to do if you get sick.Food and Drug Administration.Warning: antibiotics don’t work for viruses like colds and the flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What you should know about flu antiviral drugs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Influenza antiviral medications: summary for clinicians.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Gastroenteritis.Larson HJ.The biggest pandemic risk? Viral misinformation.Nature. 2018;562(7727):309. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07034-4
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine effectiveness: how well do flu vaccines work?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at higher risk of flu complications.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza (flu).Pedersen CJ, Quinn JV, Rogan DT, Yang S.Factors associated with influenza in an emergency department setting.J Emerg Med. 2019;56(5):478-483. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.12.012Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu: what to do if you get sick.Food and Drug Administration.Warning: antibiotics don’t work for viruses like colds and the flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What you should know about flu antiviral drugs.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Influenza antiviral medications: summary for clinicians.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Gastroenteritis.Larson HJ.The biggest pandemic risk? Viral misinformation.Nature. 2018;562(7727):309. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07034-4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine effectiveness: how well do flu vaccines work?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at higher risk of flu complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza (flu).
Pedersen CJ, Quinn JV, Rogan DT, Yang S.Factors associated with influenza in an emergency department setting.J Emerg Med. 2019;56(5):478-483. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.12.012
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Flu: what to do if you get sick.
Food and Drug Administration.Warning: antibiotics don’t work for viruses like colds and the flu.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What you should know about flu antiviral drugs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Influenza antiviral medications: summary for clinicians.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Gastroenteritis.
Larson HJ.The biggest pandemic risk? Viral misinformation.Nature. 2018;562(7727):309. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07034-4
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