Why Get a Flu Shot?

Q. Why should I get a flu shot? Isn't there a chance it could give me the flu?

A. A flu vaccination is your best chance to protect yourself against the flu; it has a 67 to 92 percent success rate in healthy adults and children, according to the American Lung Association. The vaccine can cause side effects, including fever, tiredness and sore muscles; these symptoms are not influenza itself but an immune response to the virus proteins in the vaccine.