The best way to avoid COVID-19 and the flu is to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone age 6 months and older get a flu shot every year, ideally in September or October. Staying up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine is equally important. You can schedule both vaccines together through Sutter. 

Both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines are safe and effective. Getting vaccinated also protects your family and community, particularly people who are high-risk for severe illness from respiratory illnesses. Don’t let misinformation keep you from getting the immunizations you need. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Myths

MYTH: The vaccine will give you COVID-19. 
None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines contain the live virus. This means that it’s not possible to get COVID-19 from any of the vaccines. 

MYTH: The COVID vaccines will alter my DNA. 
COVID-19 vaccines don’t change or interact with your DNA in any way. The mRNA vaccines deliver instructions to our cells to start building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. All COVID vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to disease. 

MYTH: I don’t need the vaccine because I’ve had COVID-19. The antibodies will protect me.
Even after infection, the CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19. You can get COVID again even if you’ve already had it. 

 MYTH: The COVID vaccines always have terrible side effects.
The most common side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines are similar to those of the flu vaccine. You may have redness, soreness and swelling at the vaccine site that subsides after a day or two. If you had a severe allergic reaction after the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends against a second dose. If you’re considering a second dose, get evaluated by an allergist first. 

MYTH: It’s not a good idea to get a COVID-19 vaccine when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Based on CDPH and CDC guidelines, pregnancy is considered a high-risk condition with an increased chance of complications from COVID-19. According to the CDC, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe to receive at any stage of pregnancy and when you’re breastfeeding. Discuss the risks of COVID and the COVID vaccines during pregnancy with your healthcare provider. 

Flu Shot Myths

MYTH: My flu shot gave me the flu. 
You can't get the flu from the flu shot. The viruses inside the vaccine are dead and can’t infect you. Vaccines are your best bet for avoiding serious illness, hospitalization and death from the flu. 

MYTH: I never get the flu, so I don’t need the vaccine.  
Studies have shown that half the people infected with the flu virus didn't know they were sick because they had mild symptoms. Even people with very mild or no symptoms can spread the virus for up to a week.  

MYTH: The flu shot always has side effects. 
The biggest flu shot side effects are redness, swelling and soreness at the injection site. These reactions usually only last a couple of days. 

Allergic reactions to the flu shot are very rare and usually relate to the egg protein, one of the flu shot ingredients used to create the vaccine. The CDC recommends that people with general egg allergies still receive a flu vaccine. Talk to your primary care provider if you have questions about allergies and vaccines.  

MYTH: I can’t have the flu shot because I'm pregnant. 
The CDC recommends a flu shot for anyone who's pregnant during flu season. (Pregnant people should not get the FluMist nasal spray vaccine.) The  vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalization due to the flu for pregnant people by 40%. It's safe for you to get a seasonal flu shot any time during your pregnancy.