Flu Shot

As students climb out of their winter break slumber, a silent threat is starting its annual attack on the school. Students will appear for a few days and then disappear suddenly. The threat? The flu.

As it happens, the end of winter break seems to coincide with the peak flu season. And, paired with people coming back from traveling and being sleep deprived from the sudden change in schedule, it is as important as ever that you are careful to wash your hands. But, there may be another way to protect yourself: the flu shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, recommends that everyone, with the exception of the elderly and infants, get a flu shot every year around October, so that it has time to take full effect. However, some are not so sure that this shot is worth it, or good for you, at all.

There are several reasons that people do not think the flu shot is worth it, including a dislike of putting a virus or needle in your body, religious reasons, or the idea that they either do not work or cause you to get sick.

One other reason some people do not like the flu shot is the use of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, to prevent bacteria and fungi from contaminating vaccines that are stored with multiple dose per container. Though several studies have been done to show that there are no harmful effects from the miniscule amount of mercury, some people still abstain from them. There are, however, alternatives that do not contain it.

No matter the reason, a large amount of people do not get flu shots as advised. And, in addition to the several other reasons that one might not get a flu shot, a few of them overlap with the controversial idea of anti-vaccination, or the idea that it is better or safer to not get vaccinated at all. Recently there have been conversations on how harmful this ideal can be.

All of this contributes to the fact that a survey conducted by the CDC during the 2016 flu season found that only 46.8% of Americans get the flu shot. This compares to the statistics of hospitalizations for the flu and flu-related deaths, which are about 200,000 and as many as 49,000 respectively.

Though most research seems to support the CDC, it is up to the individual to decide. And at Seabury, it seems most students would rather get the flu shot than risk getting the flu.

“Even if you do get sick, it keeps you from getting more sick than you would and possibly ending up in the hospital,” says freshman Elizabeth Mangan, who believes wholeheartedly that you should get a flu shot. “Sometimes the flu changes before it gets to you, but it does work.”

Likewise, senior Isabel Warden thinks that the flu shot “Should be available for everyone.” This is because she thinks that though not many people may get the flu, the flu shot is still very helpful and good for you. So good for you, in fact, that anyone should have access to it.

Some students believe that the flu shot can work but personally choose not to get it, like eighth-grader Pancho Metz. “I can understand why you’d get one, but for me I’d say no . . . When you get the flu shot it's giving you the flu . . . So you’re going to get sick from that,” says Metz. Despite Metz’s wariness towards getting the shot himself, he does think that it can help you get better faster or not get sick as badly.

Generally, Seabury finds the flu shot to be worth it, or otherwise for other people. Though most of Americans may not be vaccinated against the flu, this could perhaps mean an increased rate of protection in the future. As the CDC might say, the more the merrier.