Flu Shot Fallicies
Flu season is in full swing, and last week a few of my co-workers all got their annual flu shots. Surprisingly this spawned numerous conversations, disagreements, horror stories and adamant declarations from individuals their neither they nor any member of their family will ever get a flu shot.
Every November, like clockwork, the reports start showing up in the newspapers and on TV. Clinics start putting out announcements about how the vaccine will be distributed. And people start bracing for the annual ailment onslaught that is “The Cold and Flu Season”
Yet every year, a shockingly high number of people don’t get a flu shot. Some procrastinate and eventually forget, some just can’t find the time, and others just flat out refuse.
When the flu shot itself has been around since 1945 and the flu is such a prominent, yet sometimes overlooked, presence in the modern health world, why is there as much controversy over the vaccine? Why does it spark so much break-room debate and horror stories? Why is the flu shot surrounded by so many myths and fears?
Whether you chose to get a flu shot or not is your own decision. But basing your decisions on myths and stories is never a good idea. So here are some of the most common flu-shot myths and the truths about them. Read them, do your own research, and make an informed decision. Then, next time the topic comes up in the break room, you can spout off all you want, and have data to back yourself you instead of a story about your friend’s, cousin’s, wife’s, daughter from her first marriage, whom you’ve never actually met.
Probably the most common myth surrounding the flu shot is the idea that you can catch the flu from the shot.
It is in fact impossible to get the flu from a flu shot. The flu shot vaccine is made up of inactivated [read killed] organisms. We’re talking dead, as in not living. The flu is caused by a virus, a living organism, not a dead lifeless one.
Now you’re all saying, “…but So-and-so says they got a flu shot and then they got the flu.” Well, not to sound harsh, but, was “So-and-so” a medical doctor? I doubt it.
Consider this, the flu shot takes about 2 weeks to become effective once administered. How long do you think it takes to catch the flu once flu season is in high gear and you’re exposed everywhere you go. I’ll give you a hint; it’s less than two weeks.
Also, consider this, the flu is actually hard to diagnose, unless you’re a doctor and you test for the ailment. How many times have you heard the phrase “flu-like symptoms” used to describe the symptoms of another illness?
Lastly, it is possible to have a small reaction to getting a flu shot, and this reaction can be made up of these “flu-like symptoms”, but in comparison to actual influenza, these symptoms are minor, and only last about 24-48 hours on average.
Now how about a myth in the other direction: “If I do get the vaccine, I will not get the flu.”
Wrong. Here’s a summary of how the flu shot comes into being every year:
• Researchers collect data on the various strains of the influenza virus circulating around the world.
• Based on the data they collect, they predict which strains are likely to cause the year’s flu outbreak.
• A vaccine is then created to help prevent the infection of these strains.
In other words, the vaccine is based on an educated guess, and guesses can be wrong. In fact, during the 1997-98 flu season the dominant influenza strain didn’t make itself known until after the vaccine for that year had been created. Not good.
That’s not to say though, that the vaccine only works against the strains it was created for. There is evidence that the vaccine helps on some level to fight most of the strains.
Some other common myths:
If you get the flu once in a season, you won’t get it again.
Because there are multiple strains circulating, you can catch one, become healthy again, and catch another. Even if you’ve already had the flu this season, you may still want to think about getting the vaccine.
The flu shot is only for older, less healthy people.
Though your immune system is a factor in whether or not you’ll get the flu. Many perfectly healthy, young people still catch influenza every year.
Ok, so now knowing that getting a flu shot amounts to injecting an educated guess into your body. You know that the shot cannot give you the flu. You know that there can be side effects to the shot, but that they are nowhere near the severity of the flu itself. What’s next?
What you do with your body is your choice. Perhaps you don’t believe in medicine, perhaps you don’t believe the government or the CDC. Perhaps you still believe the story about your friend’s, cousin’s, wife’s, daughter from her first marriage.
The decision to get a flu shot is your own. There is plenty of information out there and it’s easy to get to. Do your research, be informed, and then decide.
November 22nd, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Nice article. I still don’t know if I’m going to get a flu shot this year, but it’s nice to know a little more about them.
December 27th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I realize Adam’s post is a little dated at the time of writing so perhaps the post was working on best available knowledge in 2005. However, its important to debate the effects of flu shots so we all don’t become “programmed” to needing an unnecessary flu shot without assessing the alternatives.
First or foremost, dismissing the potential side effects of flu shots just because they came from a cousin or mother is, at best, hazardous practice. My friends doctor, an elderly lady, forbids her from getting the flu shot because of side effects. Of course you can’t get the flu from the flu shot but the witches brew the dead virus is delivered in contains “healthy” substances which include formaldehyde and antifreeze; mmmmm yummy! There is also the small chance of contracting Guillain-Barre Syndrome which attacks the nervous system and is potentially life threatening. Research online says the chances are anywhere from 1 in a 100,000 to 1 in a 1,000,000. However, Health Canada has stated the actual numbers are quite likely lower than reality because many cases go unreported.
Yes, Adam, vaccines have been around for a long time but the manner and quality environment in which they are manufactured has changed dramatically. Comparing 2005 to 1947 is simply an irrelevant argument. Safety is increasingly threatened as China stuggles to establish and maintain safety standards.
I, for one, will NEVER get a flu shot. There are natural remedies that compliment our immune systems I trust much farther than Flu Vaccines. Everyone has to make their own decision but question your doctor intensely and ask why such toxic substances are acceptable for delivery into our bloodstreams.