What to Avoid After a Flu Shot (& Other Tips)
Last month, we discussed the importance of an annual flu shot to maintain health during the long flu season. However, some people still resist getting this effective, sometimes lifesaving vaccination because of the short-term effects of the shot itself.
While it has been stated over and over and over again that the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu, some potentially unpleasant side effects can come about after your flu shot. It’s important to note that these side effects are seldom dangerous and – again – they are not symptoms of a mild case of the flu. Rather, they are the normal and expected reaction your body has to having anything injected into its tissues:
- Soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site.
- Headache
- Mild fever
- Nausea
- Muscle aches
Here are some tips for things you can avoid and some other things you can do to help you quickly get through these short-term side effects and get back on your feet after a flu shot.
Things to Avoid: Panic
If you have minor soreness, a headache, or even a mild fever after your flu shot, don’t panic. These side effects are expected and will disappear in a day or two.
Whatever you do, don’t run and tell your friends and family that the flu shot gave you the flu. It didn’t.
Disinformation about the flu vaccine is one of the single most dangerous things that doctors have to fight against, and a constant inaccurate refrain of “the flu shot gave me the flu” has prevented people from getting this lifesaving vaccination and has even led to some easily preventable deaths.
Things to Do: Take It Easy
If your flu shot makes you feel a little puny, take it easy for a few days. Get plenty of rest. Hydrate. Eat healthy meals. Do all the things your doctors have advised you to do since you were a kid until you get to feeling better.
It’s pretty standard for people to schedule their flu shots for a Friday so they can get over the few short-lived side effects over the weekend and feel better again when work starts on Monday. (If you need an excuse to put off your to-do list a little longer, this is a great one.)
Things to Avoid: Not Using That Sore Arm
Flu shots are injected into a muscle, which can react to having this foreign serum forced into its tightly intermeshed fibers by tightening up and getting inflamed, leaving you with a sore upper arm. The temptation might be to avoid using that arm as much as possible to reduce the pain you experience.
Failure to exercise the muscle that receives a vaccine injection will only lead to more pain as the muscle continues to tighten and blood flow through the tissue remains low, failing to redistribute the serum throughout the body effectively.
Above all, remember that the muscle is sore because someone stuck a needle into it, not because the flu shot gave you the flu. The flu shot can’t give you the flu.
Things to Do: Work It Out
As soon as the provider puts the bandage over your injection site, start working your arm to help relax the muscle and get a high rate of blood flow moving through it. Exercises include bringing your arm across your chest and pressing against the elbow with the other hand, rolling your shoulder, or swinging your arm by your side in a circle. If muscle soreness persists, a painkiller such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help reduce the ache.
Things to Avoid: Things That Cause the Flu
Your flu shot may save your life, but it takes a few weeks to reach maximum effectiveness. So, in the first few weeks after your shot, you should continue to be extra vigilant about the things that increase the risk of getting the flu:
- Being in enclosed spaces with other people who are sick
- Failing to wash your hands after touching potentially contaminated surfaces
- Touching your nose, eyes, or mouth
- Failing to properly hydrate and eat a balanced diet with adequate vitamin and mineral content
- Using tobacco products that can leave mouth and nose tissues inflamed, dramatically increasing the risk of a flu infection
Two things are commonly blamed for flu infections that actually pose minimal risk in terms of promoting a flu infection:
- Being out in the cold, which does not increase your risk of catching the flu.
- Getting a flu shot, which can’t give you the flu.
Things to Do: Spread the Word
One of the best things you can do to keep yourself safe from the flu is to encourage those around you to be safe. Encouraging others to get their flu shot is a great way to be a good neighbor to those around you and could literally save someone’s life. It also decreases the risk that you’ll encounter someone infected, reducing your risk of contracting the disease.
The other thing you can do is to help fight misinformation. When someone tells you they’re not getting their shot because “it always gives them the flu,” you can share your experiences of staying flu-free despite a few mild side effects. Or, you can send them the link to this article.
Angus Lake Healthcare is your local pharmacy consultant, serving facilities and their residents across Central Georgia.
Flu season starts soon. Angus Lake can hold vaccine clinics at your facility to protect your patients against the flu and other dangerous diseases. Schedule a consultation today to learn more: 478-233-1828.
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