Medicare Preventive Services
Flu Shots
Few things are more important than Preventive Services when it comes to maintaining your health.
Regular checkups and diagnostic procedures are the key to detecting many health concerns in their earliest stages, when the prognosis and chances for a full recovery are best. Especially when it comes to serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease, the earlier you know what you’re up against, the better.
Effective preventive care also involves taking precautions against potentially serious ailments and diseases. Much has been discussed in recent years about the dangers of influenza. In the United States, more than 200,000 people per year are hospitalized with the flu, and about 36,000 die from flu-related causes. From these numbers it’s not hard to determine that getting a flu shot may well save your life.
Some Things to Consider
Flu shots are not 100% effective. Even if your annual flu shot protects you from this season’s most dominant strains of flu, it will not protect you from other germs. Flu viruses change from year to year, so you’ll need to get vaccinated annually.
Flu shots are cultivated inside chicken eggs. If you’re allergic to eggs, a flu shot may put you at some risk. Consult your doctor before getting a flu shot if you’re allergic to eggs.
Side effects from flu shots can include some soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given. Other side effects can include low-grade fever and aches, which are usually mild and subside within one or two days.
Despite what some people think, flu vaccinations do not cause the flu. Flu shots are made with an inactive form of the virus, and the nasal-spray flu vaccine is made with a severely weakened form of the virus. Neither type of vaccine puts you at risk of catching the flu.
In past years, some people had concerns about a preservative used in flu vaccines. The study first linking thimerosal to autism in children has been discredited and withdrawn, and other studies have shown no link between vaccines containing thimerosal and autism. Even so, anyone getting a flu shot can request a thimerosal-free vaccine.
Everyone on Medicare is eligible to get a flu shot once per flu season. There is no cost to you if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment for giving the shot.
Whether you’re covered by Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or a Medicare supplement plan, you shouldn’t delay in getting protected for the flu season. Remember, getting a flu shot annually can save your life!
Medicare can go a long way toward providing the preventive care you need to maintain your good health—if you have the experience and knowledge to take advantage of it.
Contact MedicareMall now and let us save you money and lead you with confidence through the Medicare maze!