Can we really protect ourselves against the flu? The best way to prevent it is to receive the vaccine every year, according to The Centers for Disease Control.

Dr. Melanie Hoppers at Physicians Quality Care recommends that everyone over 6 months get the flu shot each year “as soon as you can” because it will be effective for a year.

But is the flu shot enough?

During the flu season, as the weather turns colder, our sinuses become drier, Dr. Hoppers said. This prevents our bodies from being able to fight infection as effectively.

In the colder weather, people also are indoors more and closer to each other, resulting in germs spreading more easily. The virus spreads through the nose, mouth and eyes, which is why washing your hands, along with receiving the flu vaccination, is so important.

“There’s always a flu season somewhere,” said Dr. Hoppers. She had at least three patients with positive tests for the flu in July.

However, she added, the majority of flu cases occur between September and March, though every year the start of the flu season is different. As flu season approaches, those who are sick will sometimes confuse the flu for the common cold. Often it is difficult to tell the difference between the two.

Body aches are the common symptom of the flu, whereas a runny nose is more often associated with the common cold. Your health provider can help determine if you have the flu.

Each year, some people resist getting the flu shot. Some believe that they will contract the flu after receiving the shot, and others believe that it is not effective or isn’t necessary for healthy people.

Flu vaccines are effective because they cause antibodies to develop in the body, health experts say. The vaccine contains a dead virus, so it is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. However, our bodies still create antibodies to fight the dead virus. This process takes about two weeks once a person has received the vaccination.

Many times people wait too long in the flu season before getting the vaccination and expose themselves to the virus before the vaccination can incubate. Some wait until a family member has the flu before they receive the vaccination.

However, the vaccination will probably do little to help them since it takes about two weeks for the antibodies to develop.

Dr. Hoppers said that the reason why many people wait to get the flu shot is because they don’t want it to wear off. In the past, the flu shot was only able to protect for three or four months, but now the vaccination lasts for about a year.

Many clinics, including Physicians Quality Care, had the vaccine by the end of August.

Featured Doctor

Melanie Hoppers, M.D. Urgent Care

Dr. Melanie Hoppers received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis in 1993. In 1997, she completed her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics with the University of Tennessee at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, The MED and Baptist Memorial Hospital.

She is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics, a member of the Urgent Care Association of America, and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine.
While completing her residency, she also worked in the emergency departments at LeBonheur and Baptist, and she was a staff physician at Baptist Minor Medical Clinic and the Rehab Hospital of the Mid-South, which are also in Memphis. She has been practicing medicine in Jackson since 1997.