One thing that puts people off from flu vaccinations year after year is how they feel after their shot. Did the flu shot give me the flu?

The truth is, your flu jab can give you some minor side effects that feel like the initial stages of the flu itself. It’s not a one-size-fits-all, so you may experience no side effects at all! It’s important to remember that if you do experience symptoms after your vaccination, that just means that your vaccination is working, so you’re more protected during the flu season!

However, how do you draw the line between a response to the vaccine and the start of the illness?

What Are The Side Effects?

The flu vaccination contains a small and outdated strain of the virus to allow your body to build up the antibodies required to fight off the Flu should you come into contact with it. So, minor symptoms may develop after the vaccination as your body responds to the strain. However, it does not mean that you are contracting the virus, rather that your body is creating the antibodies it needs to fight off the real thing.

Some side effects may include:

• Soreness or swelling around the injection area.
• Low-grade fever
• Headache
• General fatigue

The good thing to know is that these side effects are common and typically only last 24-48 hours. If you’re struggling to go about your daily life, you can take over-the-counter medication, like paracetamol and ibuprofen, to help with pain relief and manage your minor symptoms.

How Is It Different From Flu Symptoms?

Side effects and symptoms are very similar when it comes to the flu, but the main difference lies in their intensity. Flu symptoms come on suddenly and feel very intense. They may include:

• High fever (i.e. 39 degrees or higher)
• Severe body aches
• Intense fatigue
• Sore throat or persistent cough
• Chills and sweats

Generally, when you’ve contracted the flu, you’ll be unable to proceed with daily activities for a week or more.

Flu Vaccinations: How They Help

Flu vaccinations are the most efficient way to stop the spread of the flu around workplaces and communities. That’s why BizHealth offer our on-site flu vaccination program, which ensures that your colleagues are all protected from the flu season.

Did you know that getting the flu vaccination can actually help to improve flu symptoms?

That’s right. When you get the flu vaccination, you may experience mild symptoms for a day or two, but if you do contract the flu, you will experience far milder symptoms as your body will be able to recognise the virus.

In general, flu vaccinations are very beneficial as:

• They reduce the chances of getting the virus and lower transmission rates amongst communities.
• They are a preventative measure to ensure that you are healthy throughout the flu season.
• You’ll require fewer absences from work, social life and daily life due to being ill.
• High-risk groups may experience fewer risks of complications that arise from contracting the flu.
• The more people who receive the vaccination, the higher the number of people who are protected against the flu, creating herd immunity.

How To Get Started

So, flu vaccination side effects aren’t quite the same or as severe as flu symptoms. It means that your vaccination is working and will help your body fight off the virus if you do come into contact with it later, meaning your symptoms will be less severe. The important thing is that you’re protected from the flu ahead of the flu season. How?

Workplace flu vaccinations are a great place to start, and they show your employees that you care about their health and safety. Our Workplace Flu Vaccination Program is offered across Australia and New Zealand. With our easy-to-navigate online booking system, we can tailor the program to your business’s needs. If you have a larger office or workforce, we can set up multiple clinic sites and support you across several days to accommodate employees working on shift patterns. Our dedicated booking coordinator can provide your workplace with posters to advertise the service and facilitate the booking of the on-site vaccination.

Reach Out To BizHealth Today

It’s normal to have questions about the flu vaccination and how it works. However, we don’t just roll out our program to your workplace, but we’ll help spread awareness about why it’s important, too. Our professionals will make sure that each individual they see is comfortable and understands the benefits to them, including what to expect after their vaccination.

Protect your workforce with BizHealth and get in touch today.