Sheldon, Iowa — Sanford Sheldon officials tell us the flu is hitting northwest Iowa hard.
Sanford Sheldon physician, Dr. Ryan Becker, says you probably should have gotten one before, but thankfully, it’s not too late to get your flu shot.
He tells us what influenza is.
According to Dr. Becker, there is some confusion over what constitutes “the flu.”
Becker says the flu shot is broken-down proteins and particles of flu viruses. Since these are not alive, they cannot give you influenza. But they are close enough to flu viruses that your body makes antibodies against them, which, if they’re the right strain, will also work against real flu viruses if you become infected in the future. He says while they won’t make you sick, you might be a little uncomfortable for a day or so and might you even run a fever of less than 100 degrees and have some achiness, but that’s not the actual disease, which is much worse and lasts much longer.
He says because the flu viruses change every year, you need a new flu shot every year. According to Dr. Becker, even if it’s not exactly the same strain that hits you, if another strain hits you, your symptoms will be less than they would otherwise have been if you hadn’t been vaccinated.
Becker tells us that you can get a flu shot at Sanford Sheldon, or at many pharmacies in the area. He advises you can call your provider’s office for more information.
