LAS VEGAS - This is National Flu Vaccination Week, and the Southern Nevada Health District is urging people to get flu shots to protect themselves and their families.
Infants, elderly and expecting mothers are especially vulnerable to the flu. Flu activity has been sporadic in the valley, so now is a good time to get vaccinated.
Find Out Where to Get Your Flu Shot
It typically takes two weeks before the shot takes effect. If you get your shot now, you'll be covered during the peak flu season which is between January and March.
"The thing that I hear the most about from patients, ‘I don't want to do that. I'm not taking that flu shot, because when I do, when I take that flu vaccine, I get sick,'" said Dr. Patricia Alpert with UNLV's School of Nursing. "It really is not the case."
Dr. Alpert says if you get sick with the flu a few days after receiving the shot, it's probably because you were already exposed to the virus.
Health officials, meanwhile, say the best ways to keep the virus from spreading are to wash your hands, keep a clean house and open your windows to allow fresh air inside.
