Fighting 8 common flu myths with facts from our experts

November 17, 2021

Julie Trivedi, M.D. Internal Medicine - Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine

COVID-19 casts a long shadow, but as the cold-weather months approach we can't overlook the need to protect ourselves and our community from another enduring respiratory virus: influenza.

Thankfully, many of the tools we have employed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – vaccines, masks, good hand hygiene, and physical distancing, particularly inside – are also effective at reducing the spread of flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is safe to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines during the same visit, and vaccines remain our strongest defense against the transmission of respiratory viruses.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the flu are also surrounded by persistent misinformation, which is why our Infectious Diseases team got together to debunk some of the most common myths about the flu. Please watch the accompanying video and share it to help reduce the spread of flu and misinformation this winter.

UT Southwestern is offering flu shots to our patients at our retail pharmacies and at doctors’ offices for existing patients. For more information, about scheduling a flu shot, please visit our influenza page. For information about scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine, please visit our registration page.