Importance of Flu Shots/Vaccines – A Different Perspective!

When I ask my friends, family members, and community members about whether they’ve received their flu shot this year, I’m typically confronted with one of two responses:

 “I never get the flu” or “the one time I got the flu shot several years ago I was in bed for days.”  

First off, I’m not here to primarily dispute either of these statements because both of these statements can have some truth. Rather, my main purpose for writing this brief article is to convince you to receive the flu shot or any other important vaccine, despite these and other reasons. At the heart of my argument, I’d like to propose that you receive the flu vaccine not to protect yourself, but to protect and to show that you indiscriminately care for those around you.

Whilst the flu shot may protect you on an individual level, it can also help prevent you from spreading the flu to others. Once enough people have received the vaccine, the community can develop what’s called “herd immunity.” With herd immunity, those who are frail, elderly, or have other medical conditions that suppress their immune system are more susceptible to developing another infection, such as pneumonia, whilst their body is trying to fight off the flu. Similarly, there are those who need to be protected by the community because they are ineligible to receive the flu shot due to their age (e.g. newborns less than 6 months of age). Once again, I’d like you to consider receiving the flu vaccine to protect the entirety of the community despite how you weigh and perceive the personal benefits and risks.

In a world where I’m constantly bombarded with tragic news from across the globe, I, admittedly, have become numb to negative events or news stories. Although I’d like to defend myself by saying it’s a necessary coping mechanism and a side effect of our current society, that doesn’t provide me with a solution. Looking into it further, my capacity for empathy is no longer an instinct: I’m not feeling the pain of those thousands of individuals who are experiencing the flu or pneumonia just from hearing about them.

Now sure, if an event or story has negative consequences that affect me or my lifestyle, I’m going to be upset. For example, I’ve been upset that has COVID19 has prevented me from seeing those I love and celebrating events/holidays in ways that I’ve become accustomed to. However, would I be as upset about COVID19 if I was the only person not affected by it? In order to circumvent this conditioning, I’ve decided to actively reflect about other individuals affected and to visualize being in their shoes. This has proven to be an effective personal strategy to help me empathize with them. I then like to ask myself to go even a step further and ask how I can translate my empathy into compassion with a willingness to help. Let’s bring it back now to you.

Once you’re willing to help protect susceptible individuals in society, the importance and impact of the flu shot and other vaccines will really stand out. Often, there aren’t easy tangible steps that an individual can take that that fits so nicely into a systems level solution. This is the once instance where it does, and if we achieve high enough vaccination rates, we can eliminate the risk of many diseases (e.g. polio). In fact, in many countries, access to vaccines is the biggest barrier and one of the reasons why individuals continue to suffer from preventable diseases.

Oops, I forgot one thing. In order for you to believe me, you have to trust me. And if this article is available on the internet, you’re just as likely to encounter another article that is warning individuals not to get vaccinated. So, I’m going to offer practical and realistic advice so that you can use your own judgement without becoming overburdened with the need to research for hours on end while also concurrently learning about how to critically look at the evidence presented to you. Let’s use an example and consider how you might fix something in your house. Whilst researching on the internet and using articles, books, and videos might help with minor repairs, it can also waste hours and hours while you find out which videos will give you the right advice. Larger repairs or those with dire consequences also need to approached with care and diligence in order not to flood your home for example. For this reason, we should call someone who has training or expertise by virtue of training or perhaps certification.

Whilst I may not trust the first professional who comes my way, I’ll likely get a few quotes and encounter an expert who I trust and demonstrates their competence through excellent and clear explanations. If I have any concerns, this individual would explain to me whether my concerns are substantiated or unfounded. With this professional, I can trust him or her because he comes from an organization that promises competence and abides by a strict code of ethics.

Do the same for vaccines. If you have any concerns about vaccines, find a healthcare provider who you trust that can provide you with the benefits and risks of the vaccine so that you can make an informed choice.  If you ask me, I’ll tell you that there are known side effects of the flu shot that can affect a certain percentage of people (e.g. headache, muscle pain, fatigue) so yes you can have a reaction to it. If you tell me you’ve never had the flu, I’ll tell you that there’s a good chance you might not get the flu this year as well. But, I’ll also tell you that approximately 3500 people die from reasons attributable to the flu each year in Canada and despite those two above reasons, we should protect those susceptible around us.

Until next time,

Be well,

Ali Ladak Meghji

Registered Pharmacist

www.coachmumdoo.com