Lux et umbra vicissum…

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Psychology of the Flu Shot

October 19th, 2004 · No Comments

A little less than a month ago, I was in the pediatrician’s office for Branwen’s one year appointment and he was trying to talk me into getting flu shots for the girls. “I don’t have them yet,” he said, “but I should have them by the time you bring Alexis in for her three year check-up. You could have them done then.” I told him I would do more research and think about it.

It’s funny… I’m not really against vaccinations. I know some people who are for various reasons mostly involving risk factors, but when I looked into most of the vaccines out there the benefits seemed to outway the risks. The flu shot is a completely different story not because it’s risky, but because it’s arguably fairly ineffective. From personal experience, I can say that I’ve probably gotten the flu once since I stopped getting flu shots sometime in college. When I was getting them, I still ocassionally got the flu. From what I’ve read, the companies and doctors who make the vaccines need to make them a little ahead of time (at least one person who was anti-flu vaccine claimed they make it two years ahead of time but I haven’t found information to back that up). Since they do have to be made ahead of time, however long that is, the companies need to predict which flu strains will be strongest in a given year. Their predictions, much like the weatherman’s, are sometimes on and sometimes off. This being the case, I often just haven’t seen the point in getting the shot. Joel has been of the same mind if not feeling even a bit more strongly about it than I do. Neither of us has gotten a flu shot in years.

Fast forward once again to this year. I said I would do more research, so I did. Alexis has asthma and Branwen probably does though we won’t be able to test her till she’s older. Babies (classified as children 23 months and under) and people with asthma are considered “high risk” when the flu hits because it tends to attack the lungs among other things. Though it’s not so common as to call it a plague, the flu does kill people. Putting these two factors together (the possibility of it being fatal and the high risk of my children), I decided that I should go ahead and get the shots for them. After all, if they caught the flu after I had refused the shot, how guilty would I feel?

And then came the shortage.

So now my pediatrician hasn’t gotten any flu vaccines. He had ordered from the company whose production was tainted. He doesn’t know if he’ll get any at all this season. He told me a few other places to call, but everywhere I’ve called is short on supply and is only giving them to their own patients. The couple of public clinics I’ve heard about won’t give shots to anyone under the age of 18.

So what do I do? I start mentally panicking, because now, of course, my children will die of flu if I can’t get the shot. Remember, less than a month ago I wasn’t sure I wanted to get it for them. So, was it the research I did that changed my mind, or was it the shortage? Probably a bit of both, I guess.

At this point, unless something really unexpected happens, none of us will be getting the flu shot. Prayer. Prayer is a good, effective way of dealing with fears, disappointments, and sickness if it comes. 🙂 Guess that’ll be our sole vaccine this year! 🙂

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