Photo By: Rebecca Juntunen
By: Becca Juntunen
As Pensacola lingers in the winter months, flu season is in full swing— especially with an increasing number of H1N1 virus cases. In January alone, the virus claimed 3 victims from Pace, Santa Rosa, and Gulf Breeze. These deaths have resurrected the debate of whether or not people should get flu vaccinations and many employ the statistics and stories of casualties to claim that flu shots are necessary protectors. Others claim that the shots are deadly, and should be avoided.
However, both parties have missed the most logical solution. In my opinion, flu vaccination should be avoided, not necessarily because it is risky or damaging, but because it is not the very best protector.
Many people argue in favor of vaccinations, because of the proven danger of H1N1, especially to high risk individuals such as pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions, children, and caretakers of high risk individuals. An average of 46 million people have received H1N1 vaccinations and according to Anthony Fauci, an immunologist and the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,the vaccine is 70-90% effective in younger people.
People on the opposite side of the argument resist flu shots because of the risk. Some vaccines contain toxic ingredients such as mercury and formaldehyde, and receiving a flu shot sometimes causes Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare immune system disorder, in 1 out of 100,000 people.
While these are understandable motives to avoid vaccination, the real reason is that vaccination is not the very best defense. It can be expensive— the inoculation costs around $30, and is recommended for children to receive twice— and carries potential harmful side effects. If H1N1 is as dangerous as it appears, then using the very greatest protection is worth it.
In my opinion, the best remedy is really very simple: living well. Naturally, people who eat well and exercise have stronger immune systems along with whole, healthier lifestyles. Not only does this safeguard the body against H1N1, but it also establishes a person for a long, healthy life.
On the whole, Americans do not lead very healthy lifestyles. Factors such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and inactivity levels lead to numerous medical problems, such as chronic diseases. Thus, when H1N1 comes along, people’s bodies and immune systems are too weak to fight it off.
Flu shots are simply a temporary fix and short-term protector against a long-term problem. A healthy lifestyle, however, is a long-term protector whose strength keeps increasing. Flu shots offer people another excuse to temporarily immunize their lives from harm and simply return to their unhealthy lifestyles. I believe that we need to start taking responsibility for our choices, especially the bad lifestyle choices that lead to weak immune systems and bodily defenses.
Thus, instead of getting vaccinated out of blind fear, people should use the threat of H1N1 as a motivating springboard into a lifestyle of life-long health.
