Does this mean the flu vaccine isn’t working?
The flu vaccine is only about 60% effective, according to the CDC. How well the vaccine works can vary based on your age and health, as well as how good the “match” of the vaccine is to this year’s flu strain.
Each year, the vaccine is made from three strains of the influenza virus that researchers suspect will be the most active. So far, according to the CDC, this year’s vaccine matches well with the most predominant type of flu spreading in the United States, but is less well matched to the No. 2 type of virus.
The vaccine usually works best in young, healthy people, according to Dr. Bill Schaffner, chairman of the preventative medicine department at Vanderbilt University. But even if you do get the flu, the vaccine can protect against harsher complications.
Learn more about the flu vaccine’s effectiveness
Will the flu vaccine make me sick?
The virus used in the flu shot is a dead virus, Gupta says. “You cannot get the flu from a flu shot.” But your body’s immune system will react, and that can make you feel pain in your arm or feel less than 100% for a few days.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/health/top-flu-questions-answered/index.html
I get a flu shot. I got one last November and got the flu January 1, but was only sick two days. By the third day I felt a lot better. I used to get the flu and be sick 5-7 days. I think the vaccine helped shorten the illness. Only side effect I ever had was soreness at the injection site for a few days.
I don’t get the shot. And I don’t get the flu.