Right now, there is a big push for people to get their flu vaccine.  This is due to it not only being the beginning of a new flu season but also to avoid a double virus infection of both the flu and the novel coronavirus, that yet has a vaccine.

Getting your flu vaccine will help avoid the twin pandemic for yourself and your community.

The flu vaccines we get from year-to-year are created based on strains that are floating around and that are predicted to be the main strain of that year's flu season.  The vaccine created to fight that year's flu strain are effective to some extent, with some years' results proving to more effective than other years'.  For example, 2018 - 2019's flu vaccine was only 29% effective, whereas 2010 - 2011's flu vaccine was 60% effective.

According to results from different research bodies, it has been proposed there are a few ways for you to increase the effectiveness of your vaccine.

Have Good Gut Bacteria

In a study published in ScienceDirect in 2014, a conclusion that having a healthy gut, that is a well-balanced bacteria in the gut, seemed to increase the effectiveness of the flu vaccine.  Conversely, an off-balanced bacteria in the gut created an already weak immune system which made the flu vaccine less effective.  Harvard Medical School suggests creating a healthy bacteria in the gut increases immunity and can be done with taking probiotics, limiting antibiotic use and eating fermented foods like yogurt, pickles or sauerkraut.

Exercise The Day of Your Flu Shot

No matter if you call the gym home or you are the standard couch potato, exercise on the day of your shot could increase your antibody count against the flu making you more protected against a 'flu invasion' to your immune system.

A study based on older adults showed that sedentary adults that exercised once having the flu shot were more protected against the flu.

The study did say that regular exercise did show that your antibodies to the flu vaccine last longer than if you don't regularly exercise. But, if you do a little endurance exercise- walking, a bike ride- after your flu shot it could be the difference between getting the flu or not.

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