“Oh no, not me. I never get sick.” “I’ve heard from someone who knows a doctor that it can make you really sick.” “It’s only for kids and old people, not for me.” Not surprisingly, you’ve probably heard one or more of these answers when you ask someone if they got a flu shot. These are the myths about flu shots and the

flu that have been passed around for years. T.H.E. Clinic wants to help correct those myths and help everyone have a healthy new year.

Myth #1 – Healthy people don’t get the flu and so don’t need to get immunized. Healthy people do succumb to the influenza virus. All of the three types of influenza are airborne viruses. That means they travel by air, as well as by touch. If you are in a crowded area—a bus or schoolroom or busy office—and someone with the flu coughs or sneezes, anyone, even healthy people, can inhale the virus and be infected. Others might touch something that is contaminated by a person with the flu and unwittingly put their hand to their face and touch their nose or mouth, inhaling the virus. Some of these very healthy people are among the 36,000 who die annually from causes related to the flu. If you are healthy and catch the flu, you will no longer be healthy and in some cases become very, very ill. Solution: get immunized.

Myth #2 – Immunization against the flu causes people to become ill. The flu shot does not give you the flu. The influenza viruses used for the vaccine are inactive or dead. Thus, they cannot cause infection. Manufacturers kill the viruses during the process of making the vaccine, plus they test every batch of flu vaccines for safety. Some individuals report soreness at the spot where the shot was given. This usually lasts less than two days and is generally a result of the person’s immune system making the protective antibodies to the viruses in the vaccine. These antibodies are what allow the body to fight the flu. Some people may get flu-like symptoms after getting the shot. Often, the person was exposed to the flu before getting the shot or during the two-week period that it takes the body to create protection after getting the vaccine. The individuals, then, may become ill from the flu virus. And, if the individual is exposed to a different influenza virus than the one he or she was vaccinated against, then they may become ill. However, having received the vaccine may reduce the possibilities of complications from the virus. Solution: get immunized.

Myth # 3 – The immunization is only for the very young or the very old. While these groups are more susceptible to the influenza virus, they are not the only people who can be helped to avoid the flu through immunization. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an individual can reduce his or her risk of contracting the flu by at least 70 percent. That means that you are less likely to suffer from the miserable symptoms of the flu, such as fever, coughs, congestion and body aches. The earlier you get the flu shot during the flu season, the better; but getting it late in the season is still better than not getting it at all. Solution to the misery of the flu symptoms: get immunized.

CDC recommends that providers begin to offer seasonal influenza vaccination as soon as vaccine becomes available in the fall, but if you have not been vaccinated by Thanksgiving (or the end of November), it can still be protective to get vaccinated in December or later because influenza disease usually peaks in January or February most years, and disease can occur as late as May.

Also according to the CDC, African Americans are the most likely group to avoid the flu vaccine. Approximately 75 percent of all influenza and pneumonia deaths occur in African Americans who are 65 or older. African Americans tend to believe the myths, particularly believing that a flu shot will cause one to become seriously ill with the disease. Only 48 percent of African Americans receive the flu vaccine compared to 67 percent of whites and 55 percent of Hispanics. Solution: get immunized.

To learn more about obtaining immunization to protect you from influenza, contact T.H.E. Clinic, located at 3834 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles 90062. The center is open from 7 am to 7 pm weekdays. Flu shots also are available at T.H.E. Clinic’s mobile medical unit that is on campus of Susan Dorsey High School on Monday and Wednesday or at Crenshaw High on Tuesday and Friday. The medical mobile unit is also in front of the public library in Lennox on Thursday mornings. Dorsey High is at 3537 Farmdale Ave., Los Angeles 90016; Crenshaw High is at 5010 11^th Ave., Los Angeles, 90043; and the Lennox Public Library is at 4359 Lennox Blvd., Lennox, 90304. At the schools from 9 am until 6 pm, it is at the library location from 9 am to 2 pm You can save considerable time by making an appointment to be seen by calling 323 730 1920. For more information about the T.H.E. Clinic, visit www.thecliniclinic.org.

T.H.E. (To Help Everyone) Clinic is a primary healthcare center that provides care on a sliding scale or free basis to un- and underinsured individuals living in the South Los Angeles community. Treating a diverse population, T.H.E. Clinic has a 30-year history of providing excellent care in multiple languages. It is accredited by The Joint Commission for its quality care and recently was named a Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) by the Commission for the excellence of the care, concern and communications with its patients. It is a nonprofit center that treats nearly 11,000 women, men and children a year.