Why not everyone needs to get the shot in order to stay healthy

By Feature Editor: Hannah Snyder

Every year the local businesses and hospitals advise you to get the flu shot or some type of vaccination before the big flu season hits. However, how necessary is this vaccination so many people bow down to?

According to, The Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC),  the flu shot prevents your chances of catching the influenza virus by 50%. Which means, if you were to get the vaccine you would still have a 50% chance of catching the flu. If it only protects you 50% what’s the point of even getting the shot? Without it you would still have a 50% chance of either catching the flu or not. Save yourself the risk and skip it all together.

Every human body is different, making it difficult for the experts to pinpoint exactly how to create the vaccine to prevent the flu in every person. Even worse, the flu season changes every single year which causes a new vaccination to follow. There are eight different flu vaccines, including the newly popular nasal spray vaccine. However, they also explained the side effects of receiving them. Some of the popular include, fever, muscle aches, wheezing, vomiting, and a runny nose. The aftermath is expected for up to two weeks after your vaccine. Although it has been proven it cannot produce the flu in the human body, the vaccine clearly has severe side effects that could impact daily activity. The vaccine itself only protects against a few strains of the flu virus and can react different in every person’s system. Allergic reactions, infections, and other complications are more likely to develop if you decided to get the vaccine. I understand many jobs require the vaccine and extreme cases do recommend it. However, besides those rare cases it is not needed or necessary.

You may be confident that getting the vaccine will keep you safe from the flu. If you insist on getting it you should be aware of one of the major potential side effects, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). GBS is a disorder that causes the immune system to damage nerve cells. It may result in muscle weakness or even paralysis. According to CDC, GBS has been linked to flu vaccinations since the 1970’s. Which is worse – taking the small risk of catching the flu or potentially putting yourself in permanent danger of GBS?

Another reason to avoid the vaccination is for liability situations. In the United States, if your child is harmed by a vaccine, there is little action you can take legally. Parents who make the choice to have their child be given the shot must do so with their own risk. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act in the United States protects pharmaceutical companies from being sued due to vaccine related injuries. Taking the risk of severe or even minor injures is at stake if you decide the vaccine is the best option.

This debate would be nonexistent if the vaccine completely got rid of the chances of catching the flu. However, it doesn’t and it probably never will based on the different organisms involved with the human body. In reality, toxic chemicals are being injected into the body to “prevent” the flu virus. Would you rather have these harmful ingredients running throughout your body or take the risk and have the possibility of catching the flu?

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The flu vaccine is the best way to stay healthy

By Staff Writer: Lexi Petroi

The flu vaccine is, indeed, a great idea for everyone to receive each year. The flu shot does not cause the flu. It keeps kids and parents from getting very sick. Getting the flu isn’t just like getting a regular cold. The flu can make a person sick for multiple weeks at a time. This can cause you to fall behind in school, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the winter wonderland that covers your front yard, and you’ll just feel so miserable. It’s not fun, trust me. But as long as you get your flu shot, you’ll be good to go.

Who should receive the vaccine?

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it’s recommended  that everyone six months of age and over should get the flu vaccine.

But it’s especially important to get this vaccination if you fall in one of the following higher-risk groups:

-all children six months through four years of age

-anyone 65 and older

-women who are pregnant

-anyone whose immune system is weakened from medication, illnesses, etc.

-residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities

-any child or adult with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma

-all healthcare personnel

-caregivers or babysitters

if you’re sick or have a fever; it’s best that you wait until you’re healthy before getting the vaccine

Are there different types of flu vaccines?

There are many different types of flu vaccines. You may want to read about the different vaccines coming into the market each year. Trivalent, one type of vaccine, protects against three strains of the flu virus (two types of influenza A and one type of influenza B) while another called, Quadrivalent, protects against four strains. Most vaccines are given as an injection (shot), while others are given as a mist sprayed into the nose.For adults, there are several new vaccines that have been approved such as “egg-free” vaccines and “intradermal” shots which are injected into the skin rather than in the muscle using a smaller needle.

Where should I get my vaccine?

The flu vaccine should be available at everyone’s doctors office. If not, many flu vaccines are available at supermarkets and drugstores such as Walmart or CVS. Some schools may also have a date set in the beginning of the school year for students to receive their vaccine during the day.

It is extremely important for everyone to receive the flu vaccine as soon as they are available since it’s impossible to tell when the flu virus will start spreading. The “flu season” goes from October to May. Being that October is when school starts, students should receive the vaccine before school begins, just to be on the safe side since they’ll be exposed to a large amount of germs. But getting the shot later in the season is still better than not getting the vaccine at all.

Does the flu shot make you sick?

The flu shot does not cause you to get sick. Rumors go around saying that you get the flu from getting the flu shot, which it untrue. Once getting the shot, it might feel a bit sore. It’s important that you keep your limb moving so that it doesn’t stiffen up. Some people do develop fevers after the vaccine for a day or so just because of the medicine trying to make its way throughout the body. Frankly, there’s nothing to worry about.

Overall, getting the vaccine is the better choice

Getting the flu shot each year is very important. Most jobs require you to get the flu shot each year. It protects you from getting extremely sick during the season so you can enjoy yourself throughout winter and spring. Being a tad sore for a few days sounds a lot better to me than being miserable for weeks and possibly having to be hospitalized for being dehydrated and having a high fever; don’t you think?