Every fall, school begins and the flu season hits with the elegant inevitability of death and taxes, along with the ongoing argument over the flu shot. Should you take it? Is it dangerous? Does it really help anyway?
Let???s take a look at a few of the pros and cons of the ???flu shot??? issue.
As we all know, a bad case of flu can be severely debilitating, with symptoms that include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, and joint pain. Flu can hit like a wallop and lead to missed workdays.
So why take a flu shot? The vaccine greatly protects against upper respiratory illness, which is a very debilitating aspect of flu. This can help prevent missed work days and lead to fewer doctor visits. That???s all good news for the workforce in general, as fewer sick people pass on fewer germs to everyone else. People with compromised immune systems and the elderly, are at special risk from the flu, as the illness can hit hard, often leading to hospital stays.
So why would anyone not want to take the flu shot? There are some convincing arguments against it. The shot itself can cause joint pain and a low grade fever in some individuals. Also, there is a small amount of mercury in the vaccine, which is used as a preservative. Exposure to mercury is a risk that must be weighed against the benefits of avoiding the flu. Finally, getting the shot is not an absolute guarantee that the illness will be avoided.
The availability of the vaccine depends on how much is prepared in time for flu season. In case of a shortage, doctors will recommend that the at-risk population, including the elderly, those that are pregnant, young children and those working in the medical field, should get the shot first.
So, weigh the risks, talk to your doctor and decide what???s right for you.