You know you should get that flu shot. Well, you THINK you should get that flu shot. But who likes getting shots? And now that you consider it. . . what does that shot really do? “Hmmmmm,” you think. “Maybe I shouldn’t get that shot after all.”
Get the shot if you can.
Learn why as Ericka Norfolk, a senior public health major at Shenandoah University, answers some pretty common questions about vaccines, their safety and that flu shot you might be avoiding.
Although vaccines have been around since the late 1700s, when Edward Jenner discovered how to inoculate people against smallpox, some people still doubt that vaccines are safe. Why is this?
In 1998 a British scientist published a report that falsely claimed vaccinations can lead to autism in children. This has since been retracted and proved to have been an elaborate fraud, however the damage to our society has already been done.
(Cohen, Elizabeth, and Miriam Falco. “Retracted Autism Study an ‘elaborate Fraud,’ British Journal Finds.” CNN. Cable News Network, 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.)
How have vaccines benefited humanity since Jenner’s discovery?
Vaccines have helped to prevent some of the most dangerous diseases from infecting and killing humans all around the world. Probably the most notable is the smallpox vaccine, which aided in the eradication of the smallpox disease. Likewise the poliovirus was eradicated from the western hemisphere with the help of inoculations. Other common vaccines are measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria.
(Veronese, Keith. “How Vaccines Saved the World.” Io9. 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.)
How common are severe reactions/side effects to immunizations?
Severe reactions and side effects from vaccines are quite rare. The most common forms of reactions are swelling, redness, and pain at the site of the injection. It has been reported that some vaccines which require multiple treatments could cause fever and drowsiness, however this is typically after the fourth treatment.
(Kimmel, Sanford R. “Vaccine Adverse Events: Separating Myth from Reality.” American Family Physician. 1 Dec. 2002. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.)
Why is it important to be vaccinated?
It is important to be vaccinated because the best thing we can do to fight an illness or disease is to prevent it in the first place. This is especially important among children who are constantly in close contact with one another, and notoriously “germ sharers.” As the rates of vaccines drop, the chances of unvaccinated children and adults becoming sick with those diseases increase exponentially.
Further, by vaccinating healthy children we protect the most vulnerable young infants who are not yet old enough to be vaccinated or other children who are ineligible for vaccines (allergies, immunocompromised, etc.)
(Kimmel, Sanford R. “Vaccine Adverse Events: Separating Myth from Reality.” American Family Physician. 1 Dec. 2002. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.)
What are the advantages of getting a yearly flu vaccine?
Flu vaccines are an excellent way to prevent contraction of the flu. Although they do not guarantee that you won’t become ill, those who are vaccinated are less likely to get severely sick and require hospitalization. Being inoculated against the flu not only protects you, but it also protects those around you. If you do end up developing the flu, having the vaccine can help to make your symptoms less serious; and it can help to prevent the flu from causing more severe outcomes like pneumonia, hospitalization or death.
(“What Are the Benefits of Flu Vaccination?” National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.)