Influenza (Flu) season is upon us once again, which means it’s time to get your annual flu vaccine as soon as possible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages six months and older (with rare exceptions) get a flu vaccine.

It takes two weeks after the vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu making early fall the best time. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccinations will continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later.

Some people are undecided about getting a flu shot. For those who are still deciding what to do, here are a few answers to the most common myths about the flu.

Myth: The flu is just a bad cold.
The flu is a virus that may cause symptoms that are similar to a cold, like coughing, sore throat, sneezing and a runny nose. However, the flu is more severe than the common cold and symptoms often come on suddenly and someone with the flu is contagious for up to seven days. Every year more 2,000 New Yorkers die from their body’s immune response to the flu virus. Many also die from pneumonia, which is a serious respiratory complication that can develop when infected with the flu virus. In 2016, the flu and pneumonia together were the fourth leading cause of death in the Bronx.

Myth: I do not have to get my flu shot because I got one last year.
Each year, the flu vaccine is changed to target flu viruses that research suggests will be the most common for that year. An annual flu vaccine provides better protection as the flu shot not only helps to prevent the flu, but reduces the length and severity of the flu, according to research. Research also shows that the shot reduces the risk of hospitalizations and, for children, flu-related death.

Myth: I’m healthy. I can handle the flu if I get it.
The flu shot protects you and the people around you. Some people are at higher risk for complications from the flu. They can have symptoms that are more severe and can lead to hospitalization, and the period where they catch the flu may last even longer. Some groups at higher risk for the flu include, but are not limited to:

• Children under the age of 5
• Adults 65 and older
• Pregnant women
• Health care workers
• People living in nursing homes or other care facilities
• People with weakened immune systems, from illness or medication
• People with chronic conditions (including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, asthma, cancer, chronic lung disease, kidney or liver disorders, or heart disease/stroke)

Myth: I do not have insurance and I cannot afford the flu shot.
There are many free and low-cost options available for the flu vaccine. Most insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare pay for the vaccine. Some workplaces offer the flu vaccine at no cost. You can also visit your nearest pharmacy or your doctor’s office. Below are local community spots that offer free or low-cost flu vaccines:

• Oct. 26: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Saint Jerome Church at 230 Alexander Ave.
• Nov. 3: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel at 627 E. 187th St.
• Nov. 14: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mexican Coalition at 389 E. 150th St.

Keep yourself, your family and your community healthy – get a flu shot!

Caroline Heller is a data analyst with Montefiore Health System’s Office of Community and Population Health.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.