Dear Editor:

It is no surprise that the flu season is upon much of the northern hemisphere, but how many people are actually receiving the vaccine this year? This flu season, thousands of people have already been affected by either Influenza A or B. This is caused by people refusing to get a vaccine because they believe that it will not hurt or affect them. According to WebMD, around 200,000 people are going to be hospitalized this year and 3,000 to 49,000 people are going to die because of flu-related symptoms.

People should have their flu vaccine when it is necessary for to prevent the sickness from spreading and to protect themselves from the illness.

In the United States, only 139 million citizens have the vaccination, according to an article titled “Flu Statistics.” Only 42 percent of the population has gotten a flu vaccine, which is well below where it should be. Several benefits for the flu vaccine exist that few people know. For instance, not many people know that the flu vaccine can help the people around them who are vulnerable to the flu because they might be too young, too old or they may have a chronic illness. By, protecting oneself from getting sick, they are also preventing others from getting sick. Although, if they are sick, the flu vaccine may help their symptoms either get better, or make them go away completely. Also, the vaccination reduces the risk of someone getting a more serious flu. Dr. Wendy C. Fries suggests that people from ages 6 months to 65 years should be vaccinated, but those who have a severe egg allergy should not. Those older than 65 years old receive a much higher dose of the vaccine because of their immune systems are weaker. An article titled “Vaccination and Vaccine Safety” also states that people ranging from ages 2 to 49 are permitted to receive the nasal spray instead of the shot.

As said before, a significant number of people are going to die every year because of a sickness that can be prevented and potentially cured. Why is that? It is because people are not being informed about the benefits of getting the vaccine and are not informed of the different types of influenzas, life-threatening or not.  Too many people have the mindset that their immune system will be enough to withstand the blow of the illness, but that is not the case.

The flu is a preventable disease, so it is a good thing that more people are aware of the repercussions of not getting a flu vaccine than there are people who do not receive the vaccine because of being uneducated about it.

People need to be more informed about what actually is happening to them when they receive the vaccine and they should be informed that many pharmacies give free vaccinations.

Once again, people who are eligible should be given the vaccine during the flu season because the flu viruses change almost every season.

Sincerely,

Abbegayle Lane, freshman