Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Fact Check: Top 5 Flu Vaccine Myths In 2025, Busted

Is 2025 the year of <span>Flu</span>? This is the right question to ask as we see so many cases of flu from around the world, worst hit countries remain UK, US, and Canada. The hospitalization rates have gone up. In fact Dr Wenqing Zhang, Unit Head for Global Respiratory Threats at the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threats Management of the World Health Organization said that this year is marked by "the emergence and rapid expansion of a new AH3N2 virus subclade". This new variant is called J.2.4.1 or <span>subclade K</span>. This was first reported in August in Australia and New Zealand and has since been detected in over 30 countries.

Amid this there are many myths that surrounds the flu vaccine, on whether it should be administered and if one can get a flu despite getting the jab. Health and Me breaks those myths for you. 

The biggest misconception that surround the vaccine right now is its effectiveness, since it has been updated before the new strain or the subclade K/ <span>super flu</span> hit the population. However, Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow says, "The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine."

When a new variant emerges, the flu shot can still offer what doctors call cross-protection. In simple terms, the antibodies your body makes after vaccination can recognize similar flu viruses and respond to them.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/james-van-der-beeks-dramatic-weight-loss-was-not-cancer-related-it-was-a-stomach-virus-article-153320474" data-type="tilCustomLink">186 H3N2 Outbreaks As Hospitalization Rates Double On Canada</a>

<h2>Here are the top 5 flu vaccine myths in 2025</h2>

<h3>Myth 1: Influenza is not serious, so I don’t need the vaccine</h3>

<strong>Fact:</strong> Flu is far from harmless. Each year, up to 650,000 people worldwide die from flu-related respiratory complications. Even healthy individuals can fall seriously ill. In some cases, flu can lead to pneumonia, sinus or ear infections, and inflammation of the heart or brain, especially in those with weaker immunity.

<h3>Myth 2: The flu vaccine can give me the flu</h3>

<strong>Fact: </strong>The flu shot uses an inactivated virus, which means it cannot cause influenza. Some people may feel mild fever, body aches, or tiredness after vaccination. These symptoms are short-lived and are simply signs that the immune system is responding.

<h2>Myth 3: The flu vaccine causes severe side effects</h2>

<strong>Fact: </strong>Flu vaccines have a strong safety record. Serious side effects are extremely rare. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a condition linked to muscle weakness and paralysis, occurs in about one in a million vaccinated people, making the risk very low.

<h2>Myth 4: I took the vaccine and still got the flu, so it doesn’t work</h2>

<strong>Fact: </strong>Many flu viruses circulate each season, and vaccines target the most common ones. While vaccination may not prevent every infection, it greatly reduces the risk of severe illness and complications. It also helps protect people with vulnerable immune systems.

<h2>Myth 5: I am pregnant, so I should not get the flu vaccine</h2>

<strong>Fact: </strong>Pregnant women are strongly advised to get vaccinated because pregnancy weakens the immune system. The inactivated flu vaccine is safe at any stage of pregnancy and helps protect both the mother and the baby.

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Is 2025 the year of Flu? This is the right question to ask as we see so many cases of flu from around the world, worst hit countries remain UK, US, and Canada. The hospitalization rates have gone up. In fact Dr Wenqing Zhang, Unit Head for Global Respiratory Threats at the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threats Management of the World Health Organization said that this year is marked by "the emergence and rapid expansion of a new AH3N2 virus subclade". This new variant is called J.2.4.1 or subclade K. This was first reported in August in Australia and New Zealand and has since been detected in over 30 countries.Amid this there are many myths that surrounds the flu vaccine, on whether it should be administered and if one can get a flu despite getting the jab. Health and Me breaks those myths for you. The biggest misconception that surround the vaccine right now is its effectiveness, since it has been updated before the new strain or the subclade K/ super flu hit the population. However, Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow says, "The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine."When a new variant emerges, the flu shot can still offer what doctors call cross-protection. In simple terms, the antibodies your body makes after vaccination can recognize similar flu viruses and respond to them.Also Read: 186 H3N2 Outbreaks As Hospitalization Rates Double On CanadaHere are the top 5 flu vaccine myths in 2025Myth 1: Influenza is not serious, so I don’t need the vaccineFact: Flu is far from harmless. Each year, up to 650,000 people worldwide die from flu-related respiratory complications. Even healthy individuals can fall seriously ill. In some cases, flu can lead to pneumonia, sinus or ear infections, and inflammation of the heart or brain, especially in those with weaker immunity.Myth 2: The flu vaccine can give me the fluFact: The flu shot uses an inactivated virus, which means it cannot cause influenza. Some people may feel mild fever, body aches, or tiredness after vaccination. These symptoms are short-lived and are simply signs that the immune system is responding.Myth 3: The flu vaccine causes severe side effectsFact: Flu vaccines have a strong safety record. Serious side effects are extremely rare. Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a condition linked to muscle weakness and paralysis, occurs in about one in a million vaccinated people, making the risk very low.Myth 4: I took the vaccine and still got the flu, so it doesn’t workFact: Many flu viruses circulate each season, and vaccines target the most common ones. While vaccination may not prevent every infection, it greatly reduces the risk of severe illness and complications. It also helps protect people with vulnerable immune systems.Myth 5: I am pregnant, so I should not get the flu vaccineFact: Pregnant women are strongly advised to get vaccinated because pregnancy weakens the immune system. The inactivated flu vaccine is safe at any stage of pregnancy and helps protect both the mother and the baby.