Vaccines were back in the news last week. Hundreds of people gathered to protest New Jersey’s new mandate that all children in preschools or licensed child-care centers must be vaccinated against influenza, reported The New York Times. And USA Today published a frightening story about the rise in parents home-schooling their kids to avoid vaccinations.

Fears of a link between childhood vaccinations and autism persist, despite being thoroughly debunked. And a vaccine really isn’t just about you. It’s about preventing a pandemic—or the resurgence of potentially deadly diseases that had been all but wiped out. It only really works if we all do it.

Whatever happened to serving the greater good?

On the special “Weekend Update” version of Saturday Night Live last Thursday, Seth Myers reported on the trend of parents opting out of vaccinations. His punchline? He said this was expected to lead to another new trend: “Dying of polio.”

Not funny, maybe—but true. And while the flu vaccine is not perfect, it’s still the best protection we have from this serious illness. More than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu-like symptoms every year, and more than 35,000 people die from it.

Before each flu season (roughly November to February), world health organizations research and determine the three strains of virus most likely to be out there. The vaccine can protect you from getting sick from those three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you catch a different strain. Last year’s chosen strains missed the mark a bit, but most years the vaccine is between 70 and 90 percent effective.

The vaccine is safe for most people, too. I had mine last week, and I didn’t even have a bruise or soreness. If your company or community center offers a flu shot for free, even better. And did you know pharmacists in most states can give you a flu shot? Get it done for the good of us all!

Who should get vaccinated?

Anyone who wants to reduce the chance of getting the flu can be vaccinated. However, the CDC especially recommends a flu shot for:
• Children six months old to 19
• Pregnant women
• People 50 and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu

The Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine

For you needle-phobes out there, vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is always an option for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who are not pregnant.

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

Some people who should not be vaccinated without talking to their doctor first:
• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs
• People who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of getting an influenza vaccine
• Children less than six months old (the flu vaccine is not approved for this age group)
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated)

For more information about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, visit the CDC website by clicking here.