Does the seasonal flu vaccine work?
Flu shots help prevent flu, but do not help prevent colds. The flu vaccine covers only a few strains of flu that are expected to cause the most problems in a given year (but none of the viruses that cause symptoms we call the common cold), so you could still get a strain of flu not covered in the shot, and you can still get a cold. However, contrary to what many people say, you can not get the flu from a flu shot. I get a flu shot every year and have never had flu.
