{"id":17231,"date":"2017-11-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/about\/?p=17130"},"modified":"2023-10-30T14:02:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T19:02:49","slug":"how-to-talk-with-patients-who-object-to-the-flu-vaccine-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/how-to-talk-with-patients-who-object-to-the-flu-vaccine-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Patients Skeptical of the Flu Vaccine? Here’s How to Reason With Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

The flu season is in full swing, and when it comes to prevention, you already know that the flu vaccine is one of the best solutions. Yet year after year patients, aren\u2019t on keen on getting the vaccine. In fact, according to recent data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),<\/a> between 2014 and 2015 only 43 percent of adults and 59 percent of children received the flu vaccine.<\/p>\n

When it comes to convincing your patients to get the flu shot, some will come up with every excuse in the book to avoid it. Many worry that it\u2019s not very effective or they\u2019re concerned they\u2019ll get the flu from the shot, while others think that since they\u2019re healthy, they can\u2019t get the flu.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the most common objections patients have to the flu shot and how you can address them so they\u2019ll stay healthy this year.<\/p>\n

1. I\u2019ll get sick.<\/h2>\n

People who have had flu-like symptoms or have felt sick after getting the flu shot may want to avoid getting it again. Yet since the flu vaccine is an inactivated virus it\u2019s simply not possible to get the flu from it. \u201cIt ignites your immune system to start working,\u201d according to Dr.\u00a0Dawne Kort, a ZocDoc physician<\/a> at CityMD<\/a> in Long Island, NY. \u201cThat sometimes lowers your immune system while you\u2019re building the antibodies and you may feel a little run down and you may feel a little ill but that is not the flu,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

2. The flu shot isn\u2019t very effective.<\/h2>\n

Patients may opt out of the flu shot because they think it\u2019s not effective. Although last year\u2019s flu vaccine was only 48 percent effective<\/a>, in years past its efficacy has been higher.<\/p>\n

Of course, some protection is better than none and patients who get the flu despite getting vaccinated fare much better than those who don\u2019t. In fact, an October 2017 study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases<\/a> found the flu shot reduced ICU admissions, the overall duration of hospitalization and ICU and deaths.<\/p>\n

3. But\u2026I\u2019m healthy.<\/h2>\n

Patients may often tell you that since they eat right, exercise, are healthy and rarely get sick, they don\u2019t need the flu shot. Yet the reality is that anyone can get the flu regardless of age or health status and the symptoms\u2014high fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea\u2014can keep them bedridden for days, even weeks.\u00a0 \u201cThe flu spares no one,\u201d Kort says.<\/p>\n

4. The flu is a cold, but worse.<\/h2>\n

Like the common cold, the flu is a virus but it\u2019s much worse than sneezes, sniffles, and coughs they\u2019re used to. \u201cThe distinguishing feature with the flu is people can die,\u201d Kort says.<\/p>\n

5. I don\u2019t need the flu shot every year.<\/h2>\n

A common misconception patients have is that they\u2019re protected from the flu if they received the flu shot last year. Yet since the flu vaccine is designed to protect against particular flu strains that scientists identify from the previous year and that changes year to year, patients need to get vaccinated every year.<\/p>\n

6. I\u2019m worried about having a reaction.<\/h2>\n

Patients may worry about getting the flu shot because of case reports of Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome. Although a serious reaction can occur from any vaccine, Guillain-Barr\u00e9 syndrome is rare regardless of vaccination<\/a> and \u201cthe benefits significantly outweigh the risks,\u201d Kort says.<\/p>\n

7. I\u2019m pregnant.<\/h2>\n

Despite a recent study<\/a> that showed an association between the flu vaccine in early pregnancy and miscarriage, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the flu vaccine is safe<\/a> during all trimesters and recommends pregnant women get immunized.<\/p>\n

Not only will the flu vaccine reduce a woman\u2019s risk of the flu, but it will also give her passive immunity and protect her baby within the first few weeks of life. Of course, offering the thimerosal-free flu shot can put her mind at ease.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The flu season is in full swing, and when it comes to prevention, you already know that the flu vaccine is one of the best solutions. Yet year after year patients, aren\u2019t on keen on getting the vaccine. In fact, according to recent data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17273,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[32,92,62],"class_list":["post-17231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare-trends","tag-flu","tag-health-trends","tag-patient-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPatients Skeptical of the Flu Vaccine? 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