Flu Vaccine Specialist

Somerset Family Medicine SFM

Neil Jaddou, MD

Family Medicine located in Troy, MI & Sterling Heights, MI

Millions of people in the United States and across the world, contract the flu virus each year. At Somerset Family Medicine SFM in Troy and Sterling Heights, Michigan, Neil Jaddou, MD, provides the flu vaccine to help you avoid potentially severe flu symptoms. For a flu vaccine and to protect yourself and your family from the flu virus, call the office or book your appointment online

FLU Vaccine

What is the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine, or flu shot, is a vaccination against the influenza virus. This virus can cause mild to life-threatening symptoms that can especially impact the very young, very old, and those who have compromised immune systems.

The flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, which means that it uses a dead form of the influenza virus to build you or a member of your family’s immune system.

This vaccine is needed each year, as the vaccine uses the specific strain of flu that is most likely to affect the population in a given flu season. The flu vaccination is most commonly given as a shot, just below the surface of the skin. Some years, it also may be available as a nasal spray.

Having the flu shot does not guarantee you will not contract the flu, but rather helps to build an immunity against the disease, and help to minimize or eliminate symptoms of the virus.

Who should get the flu vaccine?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over the age of six months receive the flu shot each year.

Everyone is at risk for exposure to the flu, but some populations are more likely to have serious symptoms, such as:

Adults older than 65 years old
Children younger than five years old
Pregnant women
People with chronic illnesses, especially those with diabetes, COPD, and cancer

People who are allergic to eggs have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, or children less than six months old should not have the flu vaccine.

Are there any side effects of the flu vaccine?

Some people have mild symptoms after taking the flu shot, which usually occurs within 1-2 days of receiving the vaccine. These symptoms are usually mild, and much less severe than if you were to have the flu.

Side effects of the flu shot may include: