With flu season around the corner, it’s time to mark your calendar for our free flu shot clinic and community toy drive event, or see your primary care physician about getting vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu can result in serious complications and leads to more than 200,000 hospitalizations each year in the U.S.

“The best way to flex your health muscles against influenza is to be vaccinated,” says Dr. Adelola Ashaye, primary care physician with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group. “And it’s especially important for certain groups of people like pregnant women, those with chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, lung, heart or kidney disease), people age 50 and older, residents of nursing homes and other long-term facilities, and caregivers of those in a high risk group.”

Take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself from the flu. Test your influenza intelligence below:

True or False? December is too late to get a flu shot.

False. A seasonal flu shot is the most important preventive step you can take. While the CDC recommends getting one as soon as the vaccine is available each year, the shot is offered through January and beyond since flu season typically peaks in February.

True or False? The flu vaccine can make me sick with the flu.

False. The flu vaccine cannot cause the flu. According to the CDC, the vaccine is made with either an inactivated virus, and therefore non-infectious; recombinant vaccine (which has no flu virus at all); or in the form of a nasal spray as a live but weakened vaccine and therefore not able to cause the flu. While a small number of patients may have side effects (which are often mild and short-lived) from the vaccine such as fever, soreness at vaccine site and aches, the flu vaccine does not cause the flu.

True or False? I can spread the flu even if I don’t have symptoms.

True. “Healthy adults can pass the influenza virus to someone else one day before symptoms begin and can infect others up to five days after getting sick,” Dr. Ashaye says. “Practice good prevention such as frequent hand-washing, coughing or sneezing into your elbow, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth.”

Dr. Ashaye also recommends staying home from work or school if you feel sick, and limiting contact with others to keep from infecting them.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Ashaye, call 281.276.0653 or schedule online at houstonmethodist.org/primarycare.

Give a Gift & Beat the Flu
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is offering free flu shots on Saturday, November 8 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to community members who participate in Santa’s Gift Exchange.

Fort Bend and surrounding area residents can bring a new, unwrapped toy or clothing item to the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Main Pavilion lobby in exchange for a free flu shot. Held in collaboration with the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, Fort Bend Exchange Club, Rotary Club of Sugar Land, Rotary Club of Fort Bend and Toys for Tots Fort Bend, all toys and clothing will benefit local children in the Fort Bend area.

The flu vaccine is formulated to provide protection against three different flu viruses—H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B. No appointments necessary. Call 281.275.0751 with any questions.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital will be distributing a limited supply of the influenza vaccine to persons with no history of egg and/or latex allergy. MUST BE 18 OR OLDER. If you are pregnant, please visit your OB/GYN or primary care physician to have your vaccine administered.