What to know about the flu vaccine as cases surge

As influenza spreads through towns and cities in the DMV and beyond, so is vaccine hesitancy.

Respiratory illness activity in D.C. is high, and in Maryland and Virginia, it is very high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But health care workers say that people skipping the vaccine — and the misconceptions that lead to vaccine hesitancy — make it harder to fight the flu.

“When we have lower vaccination rates globally or nationally or locally, then we have more people that are exposed to the potential serious adverse effects or basically the complications of the disease,” Dr. Maria Portela Martinez, a family medicine physician with George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, told News4.

Around 44% of adults have reported getting their vaccine this year, which is slightly higher than this point last year, according to CDC estimates as of Dec. 27. Kids aren’t doing any better, with the estimate for children vaccinated against the flu sitting at around 43%.

The ideal target is to have 70% of people in the U.S. over 6 months old vaccinated against the flu, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — a goal the U.S. has consistently fallen short of achieving.

So if you’re wondering whether you should get your flu vaccine this season, here’s what you need to know.

The flu vaccine is safe and effective

Experts News4 spoke to emphasized that despite mis- and disinformation claiming otherwise, the flu vaccine is safe and effective.

Some people might not feel well after receiving the vaccine, which has led to the myth that the flu vaccine can actually give you the flu — this, however, is not true.

“We know that the vaccine, the injectable form, is not a live virus, and it doesn’t give people the flu,” Portela Martinez said. “However, our bodies do have sometimes a reaction because that’s part of our immune system working so that it can protect us in the future.”

The nasal spray version of the vaccine also cannot give you the flu.

Severe side effects are extremely rare, according to the World Health Organization.

Another misconception is that people with egg allergies cannot get the vaccine, but this is also not true. While most flu vaccines are made using egg-based technology, according to the CDC, they only contain a small amount of egg proteins, making a severe reaction unlikely.

Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to prevent contracting, or minimizing the severity, of not only the flu, but also other respiratory illnesses.

“When fewer people get vaccinated against respiratory viruses such as influenza, or COVID-19, or RSV or pneumonia, these illnesses are spread more easily,” Dr. Celia Maxwell, infectious disease specialist and founder of Howard University’s Center for Infectious Disease Management and Research Clinic, told News4.

Maxwell and Portela Martinez also cited that additional measures on top of the vaccine, like masking if you feel sick and handwashing, can also help curb the spread.

The flu is more than ‘just a bad cold’

Another misconception health care workers say they see a lot is that the flu is not a serious illness. In reality, between 27,000 and 130,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to have died from the flu during the 2024-2025 season, according to the CDC.

“One that I often hear is that the flu is just a bad cold,” Maxwell said. “Well, in actuality, seasonal influenza can lead to very severe complications that include being hospitalized and even death, and that is particularly more prevalent in people that have other chronic illnesses.”

And while the risk for flu complications are higher for people who are 65 years and older, 2 years and younger and those who are immunocompromised or have other health conditions, those considered to be healthy are not immune either.

“The flu, still, unfortunately, is basically responsible for a lot of deaths yearly, and sometimes, many times it’s in older adults or people with weakened immune systems, but other times it’s in healthy young adults that may develop complications like pneumonia or other serious complications that can land them in the hospital,” Portela Martinez said. “So, my response to that is, you are healthy and that’s really good, and the flu vaccine is additional armor so that you’re sick for less days, so the sickness is less severe and so that you can enjoy whatever it is that you want to enjoy.”

The vaccine protects more than just you

Maxwell and Portela Martinez both explained that by minimizing your own chance of contracting the flu, you’re also minimizing the chance of spreading it to other people.

“Vaccination protects not only [healthy adults], but those around them that might be even more vulnerable, such as infants, the elderly, those that have immune deficiencies and so forth,” Maxwell said. “So that’s a misconception that certainly has no scientific founding.”

The CDC considers anyone who is over 65 years old, under 2 years old, immunocompromised or has other chronic illnesses at higher risk for complications if they get the flu.

Why might some people be hesitant to get vaccinated?

Even though the flu vaccine has been proven time and time again to be safe and effective, there are still a myriad of factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy.

But according to health research organization KFF, the problem isn’t always that people think the vaccine is unsafe. It’s that they don’t have enough information to make an educated decision and they don’t know who to trust to get that information.

“I would really, really take a look back at where are we getting our news and our credible science information from?” Portela Martinez said. “There may be an influencer that we really like that talks about skin products or something like that, and they may be really, really credible in that area. But I would really encourage everybody to take a step back and say, even if I read this, where are the sources of information? Are they credible, verifying the veracity of those claims before using that information to change health behaviors and to protect your health.”

KFF found trust in agencies like the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, which help set vaccine guidance, sits at just 14%, and while people told KFF they don’t necessarily trust social media either, it’s often where they turn to.

“Misinformation often spreads faster than evidence-based guidance always happens, especially through social media,” Maxwell said. “Platforms and social media are so commonly used now, and what’s happening is that this information appeals to emotions or fear or distrust.”

And for some people, vaccine hesitancy may be born out of historical medical trauma or lack of access to health care, leading to distrust of the health care system.

“This is extremely concerning for the communities that we primarily serve here, the Black and Brown neighborhoods, where it’s almost as if they’re being set up,” Maxwell said. “Because now you have this lack of immunization on top of chronic illnesses that are so prevalent, even in younger individuals — like asthma, like hypertension, like diabetes — and the result can be avoidable hospitalizations, strain on the family unit and deeper health inequities when you don’t get something as simple as a vaccination.”

Still have questions?

As the falsehoods circulate, medical professionals say they’re working hard to help their patients cut through the noise. A major way they say they do this is by keeping an open mind to people’s concerns and having empathy.

“Particularly in communities of color, we must acknowledge the historical trauma and the systemic inequities that shape people’s concerns,” Maxwell said. “[…] building trust does require openness and culturally sensitive communication, consistent engagement, not just when there is a crisis, so I describe us as not being a parachute, just landing and moving out. We are more of a constant presence in the community, and we believe that that fosters trust.”

Experts say if you’re nervous about getting vaccinated, the best thing you can do is bring up those concerns with your doctor or pharmacist and have a conversation.

“Talk to your health care provider. Tell them what your concerns are. Tell them what you have read and what you believe and what’s making you either be on the fence or say no to it,” Portela Martinez said. “They should listen respectfully and attentively, and, if welcomed, they can share information with you.”