Although the flu is a fairly common disease, many people still misunderstand it.

“Almost everyone’s heard of the flu,” says Dr. Jane Siegel, an infectious diseases specialist and professor of pediatrics. “But, there are a lot of misconceptions about influenza. I want to make sure everyone understands the flu and knows how to avoid it this year.” Here, Dr. Siegel presents the Top 5 Flu Misconceptions, along with the facts:

Misconception #1: The flu is not a serious illness.

Every year, more than 36,000 people die from complications of the flu, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu. Even otherwise healthy children are susceptible to serious complications of influenza including pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections. The flu is especially dangerous to people with asthma or diabetes.

Misconception #2: The flu is a winter illness.

Depending on where you live, flu season can start as early as October and last as late as April. To protect yourself from the flu, get the vaccine as early as it is available. Getting vaccinated in December or even later can still be beneficial because most influenza activity peaks in February or later.

Misconception #3: The flu vaccine can give you the flu.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that the influenza vaccine produced in the United States has never been capable of causing the flu. The flu “shot” is killed flu virus. Side effects of the flu vaccine are mild and may include slight soreness at the vaccination site, a temporary headache or low-grade fever. 

Misconception #4: Only young children and the elderly need to be vaccinated.

In general, anyone who wants to avoid the fevers, muscle aches, runny noses, vomiting and sore throats that accompany the flu should get vaccinated. However, the CDC strongly recommends that groups who are at high risk for developing complications from influenza, including young children ages six months to five years, pregnant women, all people with chronic illnesses and those older than 50, get vaccinated every year. The CDC also recommends the flu vaccine for healthy people like healthcare providers and caretakers of infants who have close contact with high risk individuals.

Misconception #5: The flu is a just 24-hour “bug.”

On average, an otherwise healthy person who gets the flu will be sick for as many as seven days and contagious starting one day before symptoms begin and as many as seven days after symptoms subside. Bacterial complications such as sinusitis, ear infections and pneumonia will cause a prolonged illness. 

Dr. Jane Siegel is an infectious diseases specialist at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. To learn more about the flu, visit www.childrens.com or www.cdc.gov.