Earlier this year, SC 200 discussed the pros and cons of getting a flu vaccination.  As the winter is quickly approaching, I was debating getting a flu shot.  Encouraged by our class discussion which explained the different between causation and correlation, I decided to look at the feedback surrounding the 2015 flu vaccination.  The following article explains the science behind the flu shot, and specifically articulates how this years’ is different from others.

Dr. Jay Zimmerman, a primary care physician at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center states “There’s some reactiveness from one strain to the other and your body still sees it as a flu virus”(Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center).  In other words, the 2015 flu shot is designed to recognize (and fight) a variety of different flu strains.  As we all know, there is never simply one type of flu strain.  While the 2015 flu vaccine cannot possibly negate the effects of each different strain, it lessens each strains effectiveness through recognizing the virus.  Confused by the science, I began to question what exactly happens when a flu shot begins.

The science behind a flu vaccine is simple,  The flu vaccine injection forces the body to produce anti-bodies, designed to attack the specific flu virus. When the same anti-bodies are generated when one becomes ill, the body is able to easily recognize the anti-bodies, and consequently defeat the flu virus.  Additionally, the study suggests a seniority component.  According to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, the “greater the number of years the flu vaccine is received, the more protected the person is from flu related illnesses”(Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center).  Being an indecisive, broke college student, I was reluctant to get a flu shot.  However, given the surplus of benefits including a building annual immunity; I am most definitely going to get a flu shot.  Additionally, the following article claims that flu shots also significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, and heart attacks.  Dr. Zimmerman advises that a heart attack can occur when a patient is severely fighting the flu, using dehydration as an explanation for rapid heart rate increase.  Lastly, Zimmerman reassures my decision to get a flu shot, as he comparatively writes “You are more likely to get sick from sitting in the waiting room or grocery store than from getting the flu vaccine itself”(Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center).

While the 2015 flu vaccine appears harmless, there are always exceptions.  Healthline discourages the 2015 flu vaccine from those who are allergic to chicken eggs, and those who have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.  Both of these suggestions are logical.  The vaccine is made out of chicken eggs, which should generally discourage those with severe chicken, or chicken-egg allergies, to stay away.  Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a condition in which the “Bodies immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system”(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke).  Obviously, simulating a virus in the immune system isn’t ideal for those whose nervous system may subsequently suffer.

attached above is a device used in order to combat the complications of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

I have concluded that I am fit for the 2015 flu vaccine, and I will be traveling to get one this week.

links: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150924104434.htm

http://www.healthline.com/health/flu-shot-side-effects#GBS8

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm