DO real men get flu shots?

It’s not too late.

No, it’s not too late to go and get a flu shot. If you know someone – a relative or friend, perhaps – who has not yet been vaccinated, please encourage them to make the call today. And here’s why:

It’s not about them. It’s not just about protecting themselves. It’s about protecting their family, their friends, their work colleagues, babies, infants, children and the elderly (not to mention the checkout crew at Publix). It’s called “herd immunity” and it means that if everyone works together, we end up protecting one another.

Said the good folks at massmed.org: “If you get the flu, you put people around you at high risk for serious illness. [By minimizing your risk], you can help ensure that they stay healthy this winter.”

Will certain people be harder to convince?

No doubt. In a highly unscientific sampling (drawn from early morning queries at our local gym), it appears that certain members of the male species may be more reluctant than others to take action. And national data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) support this notion – indeed, nationally, females are more likely than males to get the shot (45% vs. 38%).

So, what’s the holdup? Without question, it’s the widespread myths that continue to persist (e.g., that the vaccine itself can actually cause the flu). And while logic may not carry the day, we’ll take a shot nonetheless. So here then are a few key facts about the vaccine that you and your reluctant friend should know.

Don’t like the needle? Not a problem, flu shots are available in several different forms. There’s the intradermal flu shot (much smaller needle, injected into the skin instead of the muscle), and there’s the nasal spray vaccine, approved for most people ages 2 to 49.

Can the flu vaccine actually give you the flu? No way. The CDC explains: “The flu vaccine cannot cause flu illness; however, it can cause mild side effects that may be mistaken for flu. For example, people vaccinated with the flu shot may feel achy and may have a sore arm where the shot was given. People vaccinated with the nasal spray flu vaccine may have a stuffy nose and sore throat. These side effects are not the flu. If experienced at all, these effects are usually mild and last only 1-2 days.”

Full proof? No, it’s not, but vaccines, increasingly, are providing more coverage. Explained Rachael Rettner in an article for livescience.com: “Flu shots protect against three or four strains of flu virus. Trivalent flu vaccines protect against two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and one influenza B strain. Quadrivalent flu vaccines — offered for the first time in the 2013-2014 flu season — protect against the same strains as the trivalent vaccine, as well as an extra influenza B virus.”

Is it too late? It’s true that cases of flu are already popping up, but the season typically doesn’t peak until January, so there’s still time. But remember, it takes two weeks for the vaccine to reach full effect.

Should I wait until I turn 65? Probably not. It’s true that the elderly are more susceptible, but the CDC reports that 10-20% of flu-related deaths occur in adults ages 18-64.

So, please, ask around. Find out who in your friend circle has yet to be vaccinated, and urge them to take action soon.

And let them know they can add it to their resume under “Community Service.”