Pros And Cons Of Flu Vaccine

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Flu Vaccine: Is it worth it?
The flu vaccine is very controversial in some’s opinion. Some choose to get the vaccine and others choose not to. I would choose not to, simply because of different factors that go into the effectiveness of the vaccine. The flu vaccine is not as efficient at repelling the influenza due to, the length of time it takes to be effective, the vaccine can only be made to protect against three different influenzas at a time, and the length of time the vaccine stays in effect is longer than necessary.
The Flu vaccine is “an annual vaccination using a vaccine specific for a given year to protect against the highly variable influenza virus”(CDC). The flu is a respiratory illness that is caused by a virus. Flu is highly …show more content…

I found this very interesting because there are so many different types of influenzas. As far as how long the vaccine lasts, the article claims “ one flu season”. As far as how long one flu season is, there are different definitions. “Seasonal flu vaccines have a very good safety track record” (NVIC) writes the article, but a vaccine always comes with side effects. The influenza vaccine has mild and severe side effects to watch out for. The mild consist of soreness, redness, warmth, and in some cases, a slight swelling can occur where the shot was administered. Sometimes a person might experience some achiness and pain in the muscles throughout their body after the shot. Headaches, and in some cases dizziness or fainting, can be a side effect of both the shot and the nasal spray. This is considered a mild side effect because it should not last longer than a day or two. A fever of 101 degrees or less is a common side effect of both the shot and the nasal spray. A slight fever is considered a mild side effect also because it should go away within a day or two. Rarely, the flu vaccine causes severe allergic reactions. The signs of a severe allergic reaction include hives, swelling, trouble breathing, an accelerated heartbeat, changes in behavior, dizziness, and weakness. In extremely rare cases, some types of flu vaccines can cause Guillain-Barré …show more content…

The body needs to be stimulated every flu season in order to fight the illness off. This is inconvenient considering the vaccine has a high risk of not even working. Because of all the factors and possible disabilities, people should really consider getting the flu vaccine and decide if it is honestly worth it. If someone were to try to predict a good time to get the vaccine they should plan on receiving the vaccine sometime before February. February is the peak season of the flu season, and get the vaccine any time after that would be pointless. Doctors would recommend sometime in October or November. Someone would want to plan ahead a couple of months so the body has time to build up antigens and stimulate the body to resist the influenza. Newborns, Seniors, and those who have weakened immune systems from other illnesses are especially at risk for the flu, so doctors recommend that those specific people are the first to get in line for the vaccine. This years flu season came a little early, in this case vaccines are being urged immediately before its too late. It is possible to be “too late” for the vaccine. Once the flu season is in full swing, people might as well not get the vaccine because more than likely the body has already been exposed to the influenza and

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