Flu Vaccines: Forget What You've Heard. Here Are the Facts

Flu Vaccines: The Facts, the Myths and Why They Matter

Every autumn, the conversation around flu vaccines begins again.

And every year, we hear many of the same questions:

“I never get flu, so why do I need it?”

“Can the flu vaccine actually give me flu?”

“I had the vaccine once and still got ill.”

“I’m fit and healthy – surely my immune system can deal with it?”

And increasingly, there are people who simply aren't sure whether they trust vaccines at all.

As a community pharmacy, we think questions like these are important. You should feel comfortable asking what is going into your body and understanding why a vaccine is being recommended.

So rather than simply telling you to “get your flu jab”, let’s look at what flu actually is, what the vaccine does, and separate some of the facts from the myths.

Flu isn't just a bad cold

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding influenza is that it is simply a particularly nasty cold.

It isn't.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection that can make even otherwise healthy people feel extremely unwell. For some people – particularly older adults, pregnant women, people with certain long-term health conditions and those with weakened immune systems – the consequences can be much more serious.

Flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia and, in severe cases, hospitalisation.

That's why vaccination isn't simply about avoiding a few unpleasant days in bed. It's about reducing your risk of becoming seriously ill.

Does the flu vaccine actually work?

Yes – but it is important to understand what we mean by “work”.

No vaccine can guarantee that you will never become infected.

Flu viruses also change over time, which is why the vaccines used are reviewed and updated each year to provide protection against the strains expected to circulate.

Even if you do catch flu after being vaccinated, vaccination can reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill.

The figures demonstrate just how important that protection can be. UK Health Security Agency estimates suggest that during the 2025/26 flu season, England's vaccination programme prevented between 86,900 and 125,100 hospital admissions and between 5,800 and 8,900 deaths.

Those aren't just statistics. They represent thousands of people potentially avoiding serious illness, a hospital stay or worse.

MYTH: “The flu vaccine can give you flu”

This is probably the myth we hear most often.

For adults receiving an injected flu vaccine, the vaccine cannot give you flu.

The injected flu vaccines used in the UK do not contain live flu viruses capable of causing flu.

Some people experience mild side effects afterwards, such as a sore arm, aching muscles or a slightly raised temperature. These symptoms usually improve within a day or two.

That isn't flu. It is a possible short-lived response following vaccination.

It is also worth remembering that the vaccine can take up to around two weeks to provide protection. If you encounter influenza shortly before vaccination or during that period, it is still possible to become ill.

MYTH: “I had a flu vaccine and still got flu, so it didn't work”

It is possible to get flu after being vaccinated.

That doesn't mean the vaccine was pointless.

Think about a seatbelt in a car. Wearing one doesn't guarantee you won't be injured in an accident. It significantly improves your protection if an accident happens.

Vaccination works in a similar way.

As well as reducing the likelihood of flu, an important purpose of vaccination is reducing the risk of serious disease and hospitalisation.

You may also have experienced another respiratory virus and assumed it was flu. Colds, COVID-19 and other respiratory infections can produce similar symptoms.

MYTH: “I'm healthy, so I don't need it”

Being fit and healthy is certainly beneficial, but it doesn't make you immune to influenza.

Healthy people can still catch flu and can still become seriously unwell.

There is another important part of vaccination that is sometimes overlooked: the people around you.

You may recover relatively quickly from flu, but someone you pass it to may not.

That could be an elderly relative, a pregnant friend, somebody undergoing treatment, a person with a weakened immune system or someone living with a long-term health condition.

Vaccination is therefore not solely about protecting yourself. Reducing your chance of becoming infected and seriously ill can also contribute to reducing the opportunities for flu to spread.

MYTH: “I had one last year, so I don't need another”

Unlike some vaccinations that provide long-lasting protection, the flu vaccine is recommended every year for eligible groups.

There are two main reasons.

Firstly, influenza viruses continually change. The strains included in seasonal vaccines are therefore reviewed and updated.

Secondly, protection from a flu vaccination decreases over time.

Having last year's flu vaccine doesn't mean you have the same level of protection this winter.

MYTH: “Vaccines aren't safe”

It's understandable that people want reassurance about the safety of any medicine or vaccine they receive.

Vaccines, like all medicines, can cause side effects. With the flu vaccine, the most common are generally mild and short-lived, including soreness at the injection site, aching and a slightly raised temperature.

Serious allergic reactions can happen, but they are very rare, and healthcare professionals administering vaccinations are trained to recognise and treat them.

Rather than relying on something you've seen shared on social media, speak to a qualified healthcare professional if something concerns you. Ask questions. Tell us what you've heard. We would much rather have that conversation with you than have you make a health decision based on information that may not be accurate.

“But I don't like putting things into my body unnecessarily”

This is another concern we sometimes hear, and it's worth discussing rather than dismissing.

Vaccination is a personal healthcare decision, and understanding the balance between benefits and risks is important.

But that decision should be based on reliable information.

Flu itself isn't harmless. Choosing not to vaccinate doesn't mean choosing between a vaccine and “nothing”; it means accepting the risk of encountering influenza without the protection vaccination can provide.

For people at greater risk of complications, that distinction becomes particularly important.

Why do we vaccinate every year?

Scientists around the world continuously monitor influenza viruses.

Because the virus evolves, experts look at which strains are circulating and use this information when determining the strains targeted by seasonal vaccines.

This is why your flu vaccination isn't simply the same product being given year after year without consideration of what's happening in the real world.

Seasonal flu vaccination is an ongoing public-health programme that changes as the virus changes.

Protecting yourself protects more than just you

Perhaps the biggest change we would like to make to the conversation surrounding flu

vaccination is this:

Don't think of it simply as “getting a jab”. Think of it as another layer of protection.

Protection for yourself.

Protection against serious illness.

Protection that can

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