Rumor Killer: Can You Catch The Flu From The Flu Shot?

Now do yourself (and the rest of us) a favor, and get your flu shot!

By kncipat on October 16, 2018
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Every year when flu season is upon us, you hear the same thing. That one friend or co-worker who believes that the flu vaccine (flu shot) can give you the flu. Let’s clear that up.

Today asked expert, and here is what they came up with, you CANNOT get the flu from a flu shot:

“That’s because the vaccine is constructed from a killed virus. Not only that, but also there are only a couple of proteins from that dead virus in the vaccine. So, nobody’s getting injected with a complete virus.

Those proteins, taken from the surface of the killed virus, are enough rev up our immune system and give it a clear target. But they certainly aren’t enough for the flu virus to reconstitute itself in our bodies.”

Now do yourself (and the rest of us) a favor, and get your flu shot!

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