Benefits of the flu vaccine: Why you should get the flu vaccine

Why does my family need to get the flu vaccine every year?

There are many reasons why you and your family should get the flu vaccine every year:

• The flu vaccine changes every year because the types of flu can be different every year. Doctors make a new vaccine every year for the type of flu they expect to affect people. Some years, the vaccine works better than others. Doctors still consider the yearly flu vaccine the best protection against the flu.
• The more people who get the vaccine, the more people will be protected against the flu. Doctors call this herd immunity.
• By your family getting the flu vaccine, you are also helping to protect others. This includes those who cannot get the vaccine, whose immune systems (system that fights off germs and illness) are weakened or who have trouble fighting off infections

Rev. 4/2018. Reviewed by the MGHfC Family Advisory Council.