It’s autumn, yay! Leaves start falling, the darkness draws
in, cold creeps up and the anti-vaxxers become rife with facebook posts. Flu
season starts around October, that means, if you get vaccinated, you have two weeks to protect yourself before the flu vaccine boosts your immune system to a
point where you won’t have to hide away from people anymore (although, I don’t
discourage that). Sadly, as I said, that means anti-vaxxers come out in full
force. Vaccines have been touted to cause autism; diabetes; aids; murder and
even homosexuality. Fear not, however, as this is pure bullshit. Although, devastatingly,
people do deny having a flu vaccination due to myths they have heard.
Scientists and doctors have to make constant and repeated efforts to ensure
people get fully vaccinated. I thought I would take a moment to dispel a few of
those myths.
Vaccine Makes You Ill?
The first reason I hear people tend not to get vaccinated
(above all the ridiculous crap) is that the flu vaccine causes the flu. Something
I was arguing with the other day with a friend, who didn’t have the flu vaccine
as the last time she had it ‘it gave her
flu – no it wasn’t a cold’ she insisted, ‘it was the flu’. It is biologically impossible to get flu from the
vaccine. There is a chance the flu was contracted after having the vaccine, by
pure coincidence, but it is not the direct cause. It is likely that a person
who contracts flu a week post-vaccination was already infected with the
influenza virus prior to the vaccination.
With that, there are also side effects of the vaccine that
make you feel a bit unwell. This includes headaches, aches, nausea, fever – all
resulting from an over-stimulation of your immune system producing antibodies
against the strain of influenza.
Deathly Ingredients
Can’t have a blog post regarding vaccines and no mercury chat,
right? Wrong. See this post which details it. I am sick to death of explaining
basic chemistry to people. The ingredients within vaccines are safe in the quantities
that they are delivered. End of. Cost
This is one that annoys me in the UK. I have always gone and
purchased the flu vaccination – which costs up to £20. People are not willing
to pay that, but can afford to have the week off sick? Better yet, carry the
virus to someone else and let them have a week off sick? No, not a valid
excuse. The other side of the cost is the anti-vaxxers lobbying the ‘big pharma pay packet’. The process of manufacturing the flu shot every year is tedious
and hard. Scientists must determine the strain of the influenza virus each year
and they sell it for cheap. Yes, cheap, flu vaccinations don’t really make a
profit. Of course, to an extent they make a profit, they must, they’re a
business. If no profit was made, no manufacturing would occur – think of the costs.
Myth List
I found a list of the top 25 flu vaccination myths here –
complete with reasons as to they are completely wrong. A delightful read if you
still have any concerns (then again, you can ask your doctor, pharmacist or
consult a basic biochemistry textbook).
Should I vaccinate?
Yes, yes you should. No treatment or prevention is 100%
effective, including vaccines. On average, last year in the UK less than 40% of the GP registered population bothered to get a flu vaccine. Which is phenomenally
stupid. Some people are not able to have the vaccine due to allergies or other
medications/illnesses. If you are around these people and you are infected with
the influenza virus, they are likely to contract it also. The flu vaccine will
protect against three virus types according to NHS:- A/H1N1 – the strain of flu that caused the swine flu pandemic in 2009
- A/H3N2 – a strain of flu that mainly affects the elderly and people with risk factors like a long term health condition. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 H3N2-like virus
- Influenza B – a strain of flu that particularly affects children. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus
It is literally the simplest thing in the world. Book online
at your pharmacy (Boots and Lloyds offer an online booking - I have given you the links) or go to your GP.
If you have a pre-existing health condition or are pregnant the flu jab is free
for you in the UK. You may have an achy arm for a day and feel run down, but
that sure as hell beats the hell out of having the actual flu or passing it
onto someone who cannot fight off the virus.
Conclusion
Vaccinate.
