While one of the commonest errors people make with regard to the flu is assuming that the flu is the same as the common cold, it is not the only misconception around, with regard to this stealthy virus. One of the most basic misconceptions is that the flu affects only the very young or old. The truth is that while the extremes of age may be more vulnerable, influenza can cause severe symptoms even in the young1.
I’ve personally seen and treated many young adults who needed intensive care and ventilatory support just to survive following a bout of influenza. This wrong notion also feeds into the next belief – many feel they don’t need the influenza vaccine. You need to understand the concept of herd immunity for this – the more people who are immunized in a given population, the lesser amount of influenza will exist there, thus providing a safety ring for the more vulnerable ones around.…
