As we head full force into winter this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is urging people to get their flu shots again. Although the vaccine will be the same that was used last year, the CDC stills says it's imperative that people stay protected. Last week the CDC announced that from December 4th to the 10th would be National Influenza Vaccination Week. Still Americans are becoming less concerned with protecting themselves from the flu. Last year only 42% of Americans got their flu shots.
Dr. Andrew Pavia of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) thinks that protection befits outweight the risks and more people should stay protected. He also stated:
“The flu shot is like the seat belt- it’s easy to use and protects against serious complications, even if the protection is not perfect… Last year, during a relatively mild flu season, we treated very severe complications of the flu in otherwise healthy teenagers. So, just as everyone uses seat belts, everybody, even healthy people, should get the flu vaccine.”
Many people don't know that after a year the vaccine can wear off, and you can get infected this year, even if you got the flu shot last year.The ISDA’s president Dr. Thomas Slama has also said that not just the elderly and very young are at risk, but those who usually just rely on their good health can be at risk for a serious case of seasonal influenza:
“People often shrug off concerns about the flu, yet every year it strikes up to 20 percent of Americans, sending more than 200,000 to the hospital and killing thousands.”
As I was reading this article, I was surprised by the fact that after a year of getting the flu vaccine, it can wear off; meaning that you can get infected this year, even if you got the shot last year. Personally, I have not had my flu shot this year and feel like I should now after reading this article. By comparing the flu shot to a seat belt, it made me realize how beneficial and easy it would be to get one, which down the road could save me from much worse. After having pneumonia for a month this past fall, I don’t ever want to experience being sick like that again; it was extremely miserable. The idea of vaccinating reminds me of the smallpox epidemic we studied and how successful that vaccination proved to be since smallpox was the first epidemic disease to be eradicated. Hopefully, more viruses can be eradicated too. I wonder what makes the flu reappear every winter as oppose to any other time of year?
ReplyDeleteThis article really stood out to me because of the many statistics in it proving American's can be pretty ignorant when it comes to getting a Flu shot. The one fact that struck me the most was that last year only 42% of Americans actually went out and got the flu shot. When it is offered at so many places, such as Walgreens and CVS, why wouldn't they just get a flu shot while out running errands on any given day. I get a flu shot every year, and I would rather spend 20 minutes going to get the shot than 4 or 5 days home sick with the flu. This article compares the flu to a safety belt, and although that may be a little bit of a stretch, I think that especially during the flu season, the flu should be on people's minds more. It does seem that a lot of people don't take the flu as likely, and may be more worried about other viruses. However, just like this article says, even the IDSA and the CDC are pushing people to stay aware that the flu can be serious. This article proves that people can really lack knowledge about the important of trying to prevent their bodies from getting sick, when all of the information is right in front of them.
ReplyDeleteMy only comment is that for some people, it seems that getting the flu shot actually gets them sick with the flu, like my grandmother. I've been in direct contact with people who were highly contagious with the flu, and have yet to 'catch' the flu. I'm not sure I've ever even had a flu vaccination. In regards to statistics, I wonder just how many people actually die from influenza.
ReplyDeleteI find this post interesting because I did not know that the flu vaccine wears off every year. I thought that the flu vaccine would be a vaccine that would be effective if you got it once in your lifetime. However, I am wrong. I will definitly getting my flu vaccine this year!
ReplyDeleteI also like the comparasion Dr. Andrew Pavia used. He compared the flu vaccine to a seat belt. I think that this is a very good comparasion because the seat belt is something that americans are strongly urged to used every day. Americans realize how important and life-saving seat belts are and by comparing it to the flu vaccine poeple will understand that it is equally as important.