INDIANAPOLIS — We all know that once the temperatures start dropping, germs and sickness begin to spread. Doctors say now is the time for people to start thinking about getting their flu shot.
Dr. James Wood at Riley Children's Hospital said people should not wait until they or the people around them get sick because the vaccines will not be effective.
Wood said a common misconception he hears is people thinking they have the flu from the vaccine, which is not true.
There isn't a 100 percent guarantee people won't get sick, but Wood said the vaccine can make symptoms less severe.
"Even though the flu vaccine varies from year to year in how effective it is ... we do know it's very effective at keeping people out of the hospitals," Wood says. "So even if you get the flu, but you've been vaccinated, it's really effective at keeping it more mild."
Wood said children younger than 6 months old cannot receive the flu vaccine, which is why they recommend pregnant mothers get the shot so their newborn will be protected.
Click here for a list of walk-in clinics happening in Marion County in October.
