There were over 200 flu related deaths in North Carolina last year. As flu season begins, the best way to prevent the spread of the flu is by getting the flu shot.

“Flu shots are recommended to everyone who is over six months of age,” said Dr. Adam Zolotor, associate professor of family medicine at UNC. “They’re especially important for children.”

He also said hygiene is important when it comes to the flu.

“We should make sure we’re washing our hands, covering our mouths and noses when we cough, washing our hands when we prepare food and changing towels and linens to prevent the spread of infection,” he said.

The number of infections and deaths were higher than normal last year. One reason this happened was an unanticipated change in flu strain, which made the shot less effective. Zolotor said the government tracks the changes in the flu closely and tries to predict the most effective vaccine.

“Last year they took their best guess and we saw an emergence of a new strain of influenza and the vaccine was a poor match for the most common cause of influenza,” he said. “We’ve made significant changes to the flu vaccine and we’re anticipating a much better result.”

There are many rumors about the flu shot, one of which is it can actually cause a person to get the flu, but Zolotor said this is not true. Twenty years ago people were injected with a live virus, but that is not the case anymore.

“The flu shot is a dead virus particle,” he said. “It does not cause the flu.”

He said it can cause arm soreness and in some cases a mild fever, but a person cannot get the flu from a flu shot.

Zolotor said the flu shot is free with any insurance provider and is in plentiful supply at pharmacies and hospitals.

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