Physical Wellness

Americans under the False Impression that they Don’t Need Flu Vaccine

By Kanika Gupta | Update Date: Nov 28, 2015 07:51 PM EST

Flu season is on and it has already inflicted more people than you can count. The researchers thought this is the best time to ask what the Americans have to say about the flu vaccinations. In the health poll conducted by NPR-Truven Health Analytics in the first half of October, 62% of the people said that they have already been vaccinated or had the plans to get their vaccines against the flu. The ones who have not been vaccinated, and don't plan on it either gave variety of reasons for not doing it. The majority of these people believed that they don't even need flu shots, some are concerned about the side effects of unnecessary medication and there are others who believe that the flu shot actually infect them. The remaining 8% who did not want to take the vaccine were the ones who think it will not really help, reported NPR.

National Center for Health Statistics Data reveal that the proportion of vaccinated Americans has been on the rise since 1997 which dipped only in year 2000 and 2004 due to the shortage of vaccines. However, there are many adults who just make a choice of not getting it at all. Every year, seasonal flu leads to about 200,000 hospitalizations and out of which 25,000 people actually die from it. "That's a large number of people. The vaccine is really the best way to prevent those infections," says Ryan Malosh, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

In a recent study conducted with over 500 people, adults who took the flu shots reported that their main reason for going for it was because it was recommended by a health care provider or lowering their own risk of the disease.

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