Viral Mythbusting Campaign

Despite what you may have heard, getting sick with the flu can be very dangerous and even deadly. You might hear people call it “just” the flu, saying they won’t get vaccinated because the flu isn’t a threat, or dismissing concerns about spreading the virus because they don’t think it could hurt themselves or their loved ones.

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking leads to thousands of deaths from flu in the U.S. every year.

We don’t need to panic about flu, but we should take the threat of infection seriously and do everything we can to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, including getting a seasonal flu vaccine, seeking care if sick, and staying home if we have symptoms.

Vaccination provides strong immunity without the risk of severe disease that comes with an infection. You might have been told that “natural immunity” from contracting COVID-19 is better than vaccine-induced immunity, but this is a dangerous idea.

The protection you get from your immune system after getting sick can vary greatly in strength and duration, and contracting COVID-19 carries significant risks of severe illness, long-term complications, and even death. Vaccination offers a safer, more controlled way to build immunity without the risks.

While natural infection can lead to protection, it carries significant risks of severe illness and complications. COVID-19 vaccines provide strong, effective immunity without these risks and helps prevent the spread of the virus.

While premature infants are at higher risk for severe RSV illness, full-term babies can also experience severe RSV infections. Some parents might hear that RSV only affects children who were born prematurely, but this isn’t true.

While premature infants are at higher risk, RSV can also severely impact full-term infants, older children, and adults, especially those with weakened immune systems or chronic health conditions. Approximately 75% of infants hospitalized for RSV are not born prematurely and don’t have underlying medical conditions. It’s important that all expecting and new parents take steps to protect their babies from RSV.

Regardless of when baby is born, they’ll need protection against RSV. There is now a vaccine offered during the third trimester of pregnancy or a monoclonal antibody available for babies – talk to your care provider about options.

It’s important to get a seasonal flu and an updated COVID vaccine this fall. Older adults and pregnant people should also ask a care provider about RSV vaccination. You may have heard the myth in our communities that we’re giving “too many” vaccines during respiratory season, but each one is important. Each vaccine is carefully designed to protect against specific strains of circulating viruses including flu and COVID.

Your immune system cannot be overwhelmed by the recommended vaccines. And while it’s true that there are more vaccines available today than in the past, the vaccines are also more efficient and given at lower dosages, so your body is exposed to less total “immunological components” than in the past.

Each vaccine is designed to protect against a specific threat, such as influenza, COVID-19, or RSV – and you want all the protection you can get before these viruses are circulating in our communities.