Almost 60 percent of health care workers do not receive the flu vaccine. That’s a shocking number.
Manoj Jain explores the reasons in his regular Washington Post piece. He debunks common myths, including the fear of side effects, “in particular the misconception that the dead virus the vaccine contains can cause disease.”
It’s pure coincidence that people get sick after receiving the shot, but the “average American is likely to blame the vaccine.”
Another interesting observation is that those in health care may believe they are too healthy to get the flu. Studies show that up to 26 percent had evidence of influenza virus in their blood, and fewer than half recalled being ill. However, they are still contagious and able to infect patients with the virus.
It makes a difference, especially in a hospital setting where transmission rates decrease are more people are vaccinated.
Do your part and get the shot.
topics: flu shot, manoj jain
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{ 3 comments }
Hard to trust anything pharma puts on the market.
Influenza is caused by a RNA virus that can infect both birds and mammals. In fact, certain viruses can mutate where the same virus can infect both life forms.
While it is an illness, it becomes more severe with those with other medical issues, such as chronic diseases. As influenza can manifest into deadly pneumonia. Influenza becomes a pandemic when new viral strains dominate that infect others and cause pneumonia.
The influenza symptoms, unlike the symptoms of coryza, are amplified in comparison, along with the duration of the flu illness, which is about two weeks. Symptoms usually start to appear with the flu in about 36 hours.
The flu vaccine contains 3 viral strains as predicted by the World Health Organization as being the strains likely to appear and be available to infect others in the Winter season.
I’m wondering why there hasn’t been more discussion on the role of vitamin D in preventing/lessening/guarding against the flu. When you search the medical literature, there are numerous accounts and studies showing vitamin D’s protective effects. Granted, the 400IU RDA won’t do much, but there are reports of 1000-5000IU/day being protective. And that is far from a toxic dose.
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