Vaccinations

Influenza, more commonly known as the Flu, is a virus that infects millions of people each year. Symptoms can vary from person to person but in severe cases complications such as bacterial pneumonia and exacerbation of preexisting conditions can occur. In fact, Influenza is a potentially life threatening infection. Hundreds of thousands of individuals are hospitalized and tens of thousands die from the flu each year.

The vaccine introduces your body to some of the proteins found on the surfaces of the influenza virus. This gives your body time to produce antibodies against the influenza virus before you are infected. Antibodies help your immune system recognize the virus as foreign. This way, when you are exposed to the real virus, your body already has antibodies made and your immune system can prevent you from being infected. 

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The influenza vaccine is not perfect, every year scientists determine which variations of the virus are most likely to circulate in your community. They then create a vaccine that helps you fight off those strains. Occasionally, an unlikely strain that isn't in the vaccine circulates in the community. This is why you may have heard of people who get vaccinated but still get the virus. Simply put, the vaccine was less effective because different strains were dominant that year than were predicted. It is still important to get vaccinated, however, because even if an unlikely strain begins to circulate the vaccine from the other influenza strains.