LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Every year, there's one season that is nobodies favorite: flu season. Health officials are saying that this year, the type of virus that is causing most of the illnesses across the country right now wasn't what they had expected, resulting in a much earlier and broader spread of the virus.
Here in Arkansas, there have been six influenza-related deaths in the state, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Surrounding the hysteria of the virus is also several rumors, one claiming that the vaccine simply doesn't work.
Dr. Gary Wheeler, a Senior Medical Consultant at the ADH said the effectiveness of the flu shot isn't 100% for all patients, and some even get a negative reaction.
Some have no response, Dr. Wheeler said, and they are typically the elderly, when their immune systems tend to wane with time.
Another rumor that has garnered attention is the idea that the flu vaccine will be less effective or ineffective for people who are overweight or obese.
"There does appear to be a higher risk for those people that are obese. So, there is some truth to that," says Dr. Wheeler.
Those who are overweight aren't only more likely to get sick from the virus, they're also more likely to spread it for longer time periods.
Additionally, many have wondered whether the flu shot can help other diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.
There is some data and literature from the past that people who received the flu vaccine tended to have fewer heart attacks, but that data has not been fully fleshed out.
"What we do know is that people with heart disease, asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease are at risk of death if they get flu at a much higher rate than you or me," said Dr. Wheeler.
"The flu vaccine by preventing flu helps them have less morbidity and less mortality as a result."
And finally, perhaps the most prevalent rumor surrounding the flu vaccine itself is that it actually gives you the virus.
"It is absolutely true that some people will have a more vigorous immune reaction to the flu vaccine, and as a result, they may get a sore arm, they may get a low-grade fever for typically less than 24 hours," says Dr. Wheeler.
He adds that those mild symptoms are nothing compared to getting the full-blown influenza virus, and he recommends always getting your flu shot.
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