MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – We’re starting October, which means flu shot season is here.

Sandy Flen, a registered nurse in the Twin Cities, visited the WCCO Morning Show on Monday to talk about the truths and myths surrounding flu shots.

Flen said flu shots are vaccinations designed to prevent the flu, and whether or not they can actually give someone the flu is the perspective of the patient. There’s also more than one flu shot out there, because there’s more than one type of flu strain.

So while you could get a shot for a certain type of flu, it doesn’t eliminate the chance that you could still get the flu. Flen introduced the WCCO Morning Show to the latest type of flu shot, called an intra-dermal shot. The biggest difference, Flen said, is that the intradermal needle is 90 percent smaller than the typical needle used for vaccinations.

The shot goes directly under the skin and is available anywhere you would go to get a flu shot. Its potential side effects include soreness at the site of the shot and itching. Flen said it’s comparable to a mosquito bite.

Truths, Myths About Flu Shots