10/07/2026
Mom's Choice Minute
It is Flu season. Again....Each year, the Flu virus causes over one million people to get sick in Texas. The best defense is the Flu vaccine. Flu causes symptoms that range from mild to serious depending on the specific strain and the individual's immune system.
What is Influenza?
Flu, short for influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It's different from a cold and it tends to come on fast and hit harder.
Common symptoms include:
-Fever or feeling feverish/chills
-Cough, sore throat
-Runny or stuffy nose
-Body aches, headache
-Fatigue
-Sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, more common in kids than adults
It spreads mainly through droplets when infected people cough, sneeze, or talk, and it circulates seasonally. In Texas, that's typically fall through winter, peaking around December through February. Most people recover in a week or two, but flu can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, especially in young kids, older adults, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions, like asthma.
That's the main reason the annual vaccine gets pushed so hard every fall. It's one of the better tools for lowering the odds of a bad case.
How does the Flu Vaccine Work?
The flu vaccine has a small, dead piece of the flu virus in it. It can't make you sick since it's not alive, so it can't infect you. What it does is show that piece to your immune system, like a wanted poster. Your body looks at it and builds tiny defenders called antibodies, just in case the real virus ever shows up. This is why some people might say, they got the flu from a flu vaccine. it is because your body's immune system responded to the introduction of a foreign agent.
This way, if the actual flu virus does show up later, your body already knows what it looks like. It fights back fast, before the virus can spread and make you really sick. That's the whole trick.
One thing worth knowing: it takes about two weeks after your shot for your body to finish building those defenders. So getting the shot early actually matters.
Why do you need a new shot every single year? Because flu viruses change constantly, almost like they're wearing a different disguise each season. So scientists update the vaccine every year to match whatever version is expected to spread. This year, all three strains in the shot changed from last year's, including one to cover a nasty variant that spread a lot last winter.
Schedule your vaccine today
Each year, I tend to run out of flu vaccines so it's best to schedule early. Click the link below and grab your spot and I order enough for your family.
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