The flu vaccine is a good idea for all families. It does not cause the flu and it helps keep kids and parents from getting sick. Getting the flu is worse than having a cold and can make a person sick for a week or more.
What protection does the flu vaccine provide if I do get sick with flu? Some people who get vaccinated may still get sick. However, influenza vaccination has been shown in some studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick:
A 2017 study showed that influenza vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized influenza patients. Another study in 2018 showed that a vaccinated adult who was hospitalized with influenza was 59 percent less likely to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit than someone who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with influenza, vaccinated patients on average spent 4 fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.