KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It may not feel like fall just yet, but flu season is right around the corner.
Doctors have said now is a good time to get the flu shot.
Medical providers have been preaching it for years: the flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the virus.
That includes Russ Dailey, who's a Certified Physician Assistant at Summit Express Clinic.
"Because of the seriousness of the disease, clearly you want to take every precaution to prevent it," Dailey said.
But there are myths when it comes to the vaccine.
Myth number 1: The flu shot isn't effective.
"Every year the flu shot is targeted at the four most-likely strains of the flu that will be circulating," Dailey said. "If you get a strain other than one of those four, then there's no protection given by the flu shot."
Myth number 2: The flu shot can give you the flu.
"You're given a dead or killed organism, which is not going to be able to cause disease," Dailey said.
Myth number 3: The vaccine can cause bad side effects.
"We receive flu shots in a time of year when there are a lot of diseases circulating, so sometimes it's a matter of the flu shot being at the wrong place at the wrong time," Dailey said.
Myth number 4: If you got the vaccine last year, it's still effective this year.
"Receiving a vaccine in previous years will continue to give you some immunity in coming years, however, because there are different strains used each year in the vaccine, it's still recommended that you get the vaccine every year," Dailey said.
Myth number 5: Living a healthy lifestyle will give you better immunity than vaccines.
"Those things do not help nearly as much as receiving the immunization," Dailey said.
Dailey also said the myth that the nasal spray is less effective than the shot is not true, either.
