Fact or Fiction: Dr. Chopra settles the influenza myth

What all of us may question but may not necessarily know is that the flu shot does not actually cause the flu.

Dr. Teena Chopra is an Infectious Disease Specialist and spoke with News 11 on the fact and fiction on the myth a lot of us believe to be true.

“The fiction is that the influenza can actually cause the flu, that’s a fiction, the fact is that we need to get our flu shot and we need to have preventive strategies in place like washing hands,” said Dr. Chopra.

Dr. Chopra says the most common mistake we make is ignoring the necessity of the shot and following habits in our everyday lives that prevent us from getting sick.

One of the most stressed factors is washing your hands.

“Washing hands, that’s one thing that everyone should do and make sure they cough and sneeze in their tissues and making sure they get vaccinated to prevent infections to others,” said Dr. Chopra.

Some helpful tips to follow are:

avoiding people that already have the flu or maybe feeling symptoms of the flu. using alcohol-based hand sanitizer making sure your surroundings are clean getting your flu shot In the 2017-2018 season, the influenza reached an ultimate high and so Dr. Chopra says it’s important that we become aware of the options that are given to us to prevent influenza and other diseases as well.