Every year, a new Influenza shot is provided for the public.

The flu vaccine is modified each flu season by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), school nurse Jessica Roe said. This vaccine will not help with the stomach flu, which is a completely different virus.

The Hays Medical Center, as they do each year, hosted a drive-thru event to give out free flu shots to adults. Children above the age of 6 months had to go into the gym at the Center for Health Improvement along with parents that had taken their kids in.

“You get the vaccine and your body starts to attack it,” Roe said. “That way, if you do get the virus during the year, during the winter, your body builds up an immunity to it.”

There are plenty of reasons why people do not want to receive flu shots, Roe said.

“The main one I hear is that ‘I always get sick from flu shots,’ which is not the case,” Roe said. “Other people say, ‘Well, I have never gotten the flu so why do I need a flu shot?’ There are a lot of reasons people come up with.”

Although many people do not agree with getting vaccinated, getting the flu is not a one-time issue. Each year, the risk of getting the flu is heightened without the vaccine, Roe said.

“I do recommend that everybody gets a flu shot every year,” Roe said. “The vaccine is necessary to prevent the possibility of getting the virus.”

20ahillebrand@usd489.com