That said, the flu shot only offers between 40 to 60 percent efficacy, and results vary depending on who is getting it. (And if you’re a child, immunocompromised—those with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—or over 65, that should definitely include you.) Luckily, there are ways to boost this percentage—but unfortunately, getting a COVID-19 vaccine isn’t one one of them. “Although both the flu and COVID are caused by viruses and have some overlapping symptoms, there is no evidence of the COVID vaccines protecting against influenza,” says Venky Soundararajan, PhD, co-founder and chief scientific officer of the biotech information company Nference. Doctors and medical experts still advise everyone eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, too, though, since it helps reduce the likelihood of co-infection of flu and COVID—which is entirely possible. Here are five healthy habits to incorporate into your lifestyle to help make your flu shot even more effective than it already is. Sleep helps immunity and more robust immune responses, says Purvi Parikh, MD, an immunologist at NYU Langone Health. While snoozing, your immune system releases a variety of cytokines (proteins), some of which are crucial to fighting infection. Being sleep deprived slows this process, leaving your immune system vulnerable. In fact, getting only four hours of sleep reduced natural killer cells—immune cells that put the kibosh on cells infected with the virus by almost 30 percent. “Exercise is a controlled form of stress that stimulates several responses in the body,” Alex Rothstein, coordinator of the Exercise Science program at New York Institute of Technology explains. “One of these responses is the deployment of white blood cells and even more directly the deployment of these cells to working and/or inflamed tissue where they may be needed most.” Getting sweaty also revs up the circulatory system that “helps deliver proper nutrients to cells while cleaning up cellular waste, which leads to improved immune system functioning, ’’ adds Joe Holder, a Nike Master Trainer and a health and wellness consultant. He also notes that exercise has been linked to improved function of specific cells such as natural killer cells within the immune system itself. Exercise can also help assist in making sure you have quality body composition, explains Holder. Why is this important: “Obesity causes our immune system to become overworked due to being in a state of low-grade inflammation,” he explains. “This causes our immune system function to lag a bit so when a real infection is present our body it’s slower to respond.” So how much heart-pumping cardio do you need? A full 90 minutes, and make sure it’s post needle prick. According to a recent study, researchers found that 90 minutes of exercise consistently increased serum antibody to H1N1, seasonal influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines four weeks post-immunization. Also, adults over 60 who engaged in regular cardio not only experienced an uptick in the antibodies necessary to prevent infection, but it lasted throughout the entire flu season, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign research reveals. Dr. Parikh does warn, though, that exercising post shot “may exacerbate or lower the threshold for an allergic reaction.” So pay attention to your body and only do what feels right (and talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.) RELATED: 7 Mistakes That Could Make Your Cold Worse Than It Already Is RELATED: How to Properly Take Someone’s Temperature—and How to Know When It’s a Fever Research in general has also found that a pleasant attitude can strengthen your immune system as well as make it three times more likely that you don’t get sick, regardless of virus-type, age, sex, and body mass. Apparently happiness really is the best medicine. RELATED: How to Stock Your Medicine Cabinet Based on Your Specific Needs, According to MDs
