Are you going to get a flu shot?

It's a common question, especially in the fall. Although the majority of people I know don't get the flu shot, across the population, that's more the exception than the rule. It shouldn't be surprising that most opt in for the vaccine. Advertisements, commercials, and signs make you think it's "just what you do" in October. I was recently in line at the pharmacy, waiting to pick up my prescription for Armour thyroid. Being at the back of the line, I stood next to the hand sanitizer dispenser. That stuff you slather on your hands that's supposed to kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria. When I got to the front of the line, I was offered to get a shot that put some of those viruses in my body that the hand sanitizer was supposed to kill. Modern-day medical irony. I skipped both options. But it got me thinking about the flu shot and the fact that I haven't addressed it in an article before. I'm often asked why I choose not to get the vaccine, but hadn't put my thoughts on virtual paper to address it. If you're for, against, or a fence-sitter when it comes to the flu shot, I hope this article gives you some stuff to think about, to lead to other conversations, and in the end, to help you make your own, informed decision rather than following the herd. Here's a couple of questions to help open your mind. I'm not going to answer them. I'm just going to open with them: Why are people so quick to jump on board with getting a flu shot, or having their kids get it, when there's barely any long-term research to show it won't have side effects?Why are some of those same people so quick to question the safety of natural health products that have been safely used for thousands of years? Perplexing, isn't it? Influenza-Like Illness vs Influenza More than 200 viruses can cause Influenza-Like Illness (ILI). As the name suggests, ILI causes flu-like symptoms without being caused by the influenza virus. Symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness include: Runny noseCoughAchesHeadacheFeverFatigue and weaknessSore throat More than likely, when you were a kid, your parents let you skip a day of school where you laid under a blanket on the couch, drank Sprite, and watched boring daytime TV. Once in a while, you'd get a second day off of school, but most of the time, you were well enough the next day to go back to school. Getting the flu was unfortunate, but not surprising. It just happens, and most of the time, it's no big deal. Today, it's become a big deal in part because there's money to be made, but I won't go there in this article. Maybe another time. So, the fall is flu season. Sometimes you get "the flu" from the influenza virus. Sometimes you get "the flu" from something else. Of those who experience influenza-like illness, only 7-15% of cases are caused by influenza viruses. The flu vaccine targets those 7-15% of cases caused by the influenza virus. How Does the Flu Vaccine Work? You might think the flu shot gives you some sort of superpower to combat the flu. That’s not how it works. The flu shot doesn’t guarantee you’ll avoid the flu. It reduces the likelihood you'll get it, if you're exposed to the same strain the vaccine was designed for. When someone says, "I've gotten the flu shot for 10 years in a row and I haven't gotten the flu one time," their avoidance of the flu and getting the flu shot could be pure coincidence. "When someone says, "I've never gotten the flu shot and I never get the flu," that could also be coincidence. When someone says, "I got the flu shot and the next day I felt like I had the flu," that could absolutely be the result of the flu shot. Influenza A, B, and C and the Vaccine The viruses that cause the majority of ILI come from one of two groups, Influenza A and Influenza B. There's also Influenza C. Each of those groups is made up of many different virus strains. At the beginning of each year, researchers and scientists try to guess which o...