Renal Disease? Get the Flu-Vaccine Now!

If you have renal disease, the National Kidney Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a message for you:

Get the flu vaccine. Do it now. The sooner the better, because the peak of flu season is still a couple months away.

When your kidneys aren’t fully functioning, your risk for getting really sick from the flu are much higher than someone with healthy kidneys and stronger immune system. The flu vaccine is a simple and inexpensive way to protect yourself.

Getting the flu vaccine will help you:

• Avoid contracting the flu and all the miserably symptoms that go with it
• Reduce the severity and duration of the flu if you do get sick
• Lower your risk for hospitalization from the flu, which you want to avoid during the COVID-19 pandemic

How the flu vaccine works

It’s pretty simple, and only takes a few seconds. The flu vaccine is typically administered via a shot or nasal mist.

Once you’ve received the vaccine, it takes your body about two weeks to develop antibodies to protect against infection. And don’t worry, you can’t get sick from the flu vaccine...it’s made with inactive flu viruses that are not infectious.

Where do you get the flu vaccine? It’s widely available at most pharmacies. Check with your doctor and local health department for more information about the flu vaccine, and where you can get it.

If you're a kidney disease or transplant patient, it's important to get the flu vaccine and protect your health during the cold and flu season. But it’s not the only thing you can do. Eating healthy foods can help, too. Check out the Renal-Friendly menu of meals made from fresh ingredients, and pick your favorites.

Source: https://www.kidney.org/newsletter/kidney-disease-flu-shot-fall