A number of questions continue to circle around the flu shot or the influenza vaccine. According to an estimate by the CDC, 5-20% of Americans catch flu every year among which 200000 people end up in hospitals and 30000 even die. Getting an influenza vaccine is the best way to prevent being laid down by the flu.

The best time to get the flu shot is in October or November since the flu season may begin as early as October and run through till May. There are two main types of influenza vaccines. The traditional one consists of an inactivated virus that is given with a needle. This does not contain a live virus and will not cause the flu.

The second type of flu shot is given as a nasal vaccine and is called the FluMist. It can sometimes cause flu and is thus recommended for people who are healthy and aged between 2 to 49 years. Generally this is not given to pregnant women.

Every year, the flu vaccine includes different kinds of virus. The strains selected are those which researchers say are most likely to spread that year. even though a flu shot cannot provide blanket protection against all types of influenza, if the choice is right, the vaccine is 70-90% effective in preventing flu among healthy people below 65 years of age.