U of M Expert Alert: Why you should get the flu shot this season
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (10/14/2022) — Flu season is here once again. The last two years have been quieter for influenza activity because of mask-wearing, social distancing and other pandemic restrictions related to COVID-19. Many of those measures have been lifted over the last six months, leaving many to wonder how that could impact flu cases this fall and winter.
University of Minnesota Medical School expert Marc Jenkins, PhD, speaks about the upcoming flu season and why it’s crucial to get the flu shot.
Marc Jenkins, PhD
"Flu is still a dangerous infection. Although imperfect, vaccines are by far our best defense against the serious illness that this virus can cause. Vaccines stimulate the layers of our immune system — such as T and B cells — to build up a response for when a virus enters our the bodies. Vaccines are like an insurance policy for future infection.”
“I keep my COVID-19 and flu vaccines up to date and encourage my friends and family members to do the same.”
Contact
Marc Jenkins, Professor at the U of M Medical School, Director of the Center for Immunology
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Dr. Jenkins is a professor at the U of M Medical School and director of the Center for Immunology, an interdisciplinary unit at the Medical School devoted to advancing the field of immunology and educating future immunologists. He is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Jenkins and his colleagues investigate CD4+ T and B cell activation in vivo by directly tracking antigen-specific cells. The goal of this research is a basic understanding of lymphocyte activation that can be used to improve vaccines and prevent autoimmunity.
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