1. The flu shot can give you the flu

This is one of the most common flu shot myths that convinces many people to not get this type of protection against the illness. No, the flu shot cannot give you the flu. The virus in the vaccine is killed, therefore it is inactive.

Since the flu vaccine’s first civilian use in 1945, flu shots have consisted of dead strains of influenza A and influenza B. The nasal spray flu vaccine (like FluMist) contains a weakened form of the virus, but it also can’t make you sick.

Both types of vaccines trigger the body’s immune response. Whether the vaccine is made with a weakened or inactive virus, your immune system sees it as an intruder and thus creates antibodies. This process is what can spur side effects, but it’s basically how your body gets ready for a possible exposure to an active virus.