Thread by @ScienceUpFirst

On the fence about fighting the flu? 🤔

Well get off the fence and get on defense! Getting the flu shot is extra important this year. Keep reading to find out why.

References at the bottom of the thread!

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#ScienceUpFirst

Silver lining to 2020? The flu season was very mild (1). We can thank public health measures like physical distancing, reduced travel, masks and hand-washing for that.

Here’s why things are different this year...

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#ScienceUpFirst

Reason 1: We’re seeing more people face to face. (Yay!) 👭

Reason 2: Low flu rates during the past two seasons means our population immunity against influenza is lower than usual (2). (Not yay!) 🤒

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#ScienceUpFirst

Reason 3: we’re still in a COVID-19 pandemic! A bad flu season can lead to a lot of hospitalizations (3).

Getting the flu shot will help reduce the strain on our already overstretched health care system. 🧑🏾‍⚕️💖

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#ScienceUpFirst

The most common reason people avoid the flu shot is because they are healthy and/or “never get the flu” (4).

But here’s the thing: just because you have been lucky doesn’t mean you will always be lucky. It’s not worth rolling the dice.

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#ScienceUpFirst

Repeated vaccination won’t “overload” your immune system. Those who received a yearly shot were better at preventing severe flu than those with a single shot (5). 💉💉

The flu shot helps protect yourself AND it helps protect your family and community.

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#ScienceUpFirst

You can get the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time!

NACI says it’s safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines (including the flu shot) at the same time or any time before (6).

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#ScienceUpFirst

The COVID-19 vaccine *does not* protect you from the flu. You should get the COVID-19 shot AND the flu shot. They’re better together! 🤝

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#ScienceUpFirst

Flu symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, head and muscle aches can be similar to those of COVID-19.

If you have symptoms, talk to your doctor and visit your province’s COVID-19 website to see if you should get tested for COVID-19.

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#ScienceUpFirst

The flu shot is safe. The flu shot works. This coming winter, make sure you have both your flu shot and COVID-19 shot to lower your risk.

Share to spread the word and retweet if you already got yours! 🩹

References: tinyurl.com/SUFFluShot

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#ScienceUpFirst