The Dose: Flu vaccines don't cause the flu
Flu vaccines don't cause the flu, most vaccines are thimerosal free, & even turkeys trust the data!
Welcome to a special edition of The Dose! We’re focusing on influenza this issue and, since it’s almost Thanksgiving in the U.S., we have some fun holiday content as well. If you haven’t already, subscribe to have The Dose delivered right to your inbox!
This may be one of the most oft-repeated myths we hear about the flu. After receiving your flu vaccine, you may experience flu-like symptoms, but this is your body’s immune response. It’s also possible to become infected with the flu shortly before or after receiving your vaccine since the incubation period is about four days and it takes about two weeks for your body to mount an optimal immune response. However, neither of these scenarios is a result of the vaccine.
Scared of needles? There may be a flu vaccine alternative for you! There’s a nasal spray vaccine approved for healthy, non-pregnant people ages 2-49. There are other limitations and recommendations, so make sure to check out the caption accompanying this post for full details.
Another common myth we hear is mercury in vaccines. The good news is that 93% of available flu vaccines this season are thimerosal-free. The other good news is that there’s no evidence thimerosal is harmful.
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What would a holiday be without science? Adults and kids alike will appreciate these fun Thanksgiving-themed science experiments from the famed Steve Spangler.
Wake me up when Thanksgiving ends. Feeling sleepy after enjoying some Thanksgiving turkey? Spoiler alert: it’s not the tryptophan from the turkey making you want to doze on the couch! Check out our latest episode of the pod to hear more.
Even turkeys trust the data!
That’s it for this issue!
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