October 2018
Amanda MacMillan
You probably know by now some of the major reasons you should get your flu shot this and every year: More than 80,000 people died from the flu last year in the United States, including many otherwise healthy children and young adults. And while the shot doesn’t offer 100% protection against the virus, it’s certainly better than nothing. Even if you do get sick, being vaccinated reduces your risk of getting a severe case of the flu and winding up in the hospital. It also makes it less likely that you’ll pass the flu onto others.
But there’s another, lesser known argument for getting the flu shot, and for taking other precautions against influenza, as well: The flu isn’t just a health risk for the seven days or so that you’re physically sick with the virus—it can also have some lasting effects that could affect your health for weeks, months, or even permanently. Here are some of the ways the flu can be a risk factor for health issues, even after you’re feeling better.
