 Free flu shots are available for faculty and staff at various Duke locations. From 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8, the vaccine
will be offered during the LIVE FOR LIFE Health Fair in the Searle Center. Through January 2008, the Employee Occupational
Health & Wellness clinic in the Red Zone, basement level of the Duke Clinic building, will offer the vaccine from 8 a.m. to
4 p.m. Monday through Friday (except for Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m.). For a complete schedule and location updates, visit
the Flu Shots web site. A current Duke ID must be presented.
Ask Dr. George Jackson, M.D.
Director of Employee Occupational Health & Wellness
What's the best way to prevent the flu?
One of the best ways to prevent influenza, also called the flu, is by getting the flu vaccine every year. Getting a flu shot reduces your chances dramatically of getting the flu. Frequent hand washing is an equally important method to avoid the flu and other respiratory illnesses.
Why is it important to get the flu shot?
We haven't had a tough flu season the past few years, so I'm worried people are less concerned with getting the flu shot. You just never know when you'll have a bad flu season.
Most adults can survive the flu, but for the very young and elderly, the flu can be devastating. About 25,000 to 35,000 people die of the flu every year.
Does the shot give me the flu?
You can not get influenza from the flu shot.
I understand that most people don't like to get a shot. Overall, there's a very low risk of side effects or complications. You cannot get influenza from the vaccine because the virus particles in the vaccine are altered and can not reproduce or cause illness. A large amount of testing is done on the vaccine to ensure that it's safe.
When should you get the flu shot?
The best time to get the shot is in October and November. The flu shot is effective for six months in most people. You don't want to get it so early that flu season is still active when the shot wears off. It's also important to get the shot early enough because after you get the vaccine, it takes your body about two weeks to build immunity to the virus.
How effective is the shot?
If you have been infected with the flu virus before getting the shot, the vaccination won't help you. You must get the shot before you're exposed to the virus. Because the vaccine contains weakened influenza virus particles, your body recognizes it as a foreign substance when it's injected and begins to create antibodies against it. So when you're exposed to the actual flu virus, you'll be able to fight it off.
Why is hand washing important?
Hand washing prevents passing the flu virus among friends, colleagues and patients. When people have the flu their bodily fluids, like saliva, contain the virus. If they cough in their hands, their hands get contaminated, as does anything they touch. If someone else touches a contaminated item, they can pick up the virus.
— By Elizabeth Michalka
Writer, Human Resources Communications
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