Flu shot importance

Emma Kate Bockelman, Reporter

Junior Lexi Powers receives the flu shot form from her advisor. She brings it home to her parents, and they discuss whether she should get the flu shot or not. She has never had the flu before, nor has she ever had the flu shot. Their final decision is that she will not get the flu shot this year.

“It is irrelevant, and it doesn’t do you any good. There is a fifty-fifty chance of you getting the virus or not getting it. The shot puts the virus inside you,” Powers said.

The flu shot is a very polarizing subject. There are some people who are completely for the shot, and they believe you should get the shot every year to prevent yourself from getting the virus. Others believe that there is no use for the flu shot, and that all it is doing is putting the virus in you, which does more harm than help.

“It’s a shot in the dark as to which strain of the flu they give you and which one you will contract. As long as you have healthy habits, you shouldn’t get sick,” junior Hayden Couch said.

For the people who believe that you will get sick by receiving the flu shot, the CDC says that is not possible. There are two ways in which the flu shot works. One, you receive an inactivated strain of the virus, so therefore it can no longer infect anyone, or two, the student may not receive the flu shot at all, but a different type of preventative, such as a saltwater shot.

“I still believe you can get the flu from the shot. They are still putting the virus inside you, inactive or not. I still think there is a chance,” Powers said.

There are three different strains of the flu virus. Strain A and B are the annual strains, and Strain C is the least severe of the three. Strains manipulate over time and throughout the years, which is why some people believe the shot doesn’t work. They believe that because there are so many different manipulations of the flu, that one shot can not prevent it all. Because the virus changes throughout the years, some people believe it is important to get the shot every year to continue protecting themselves from the virus.

“It’s not completely necessary, but it’s worth it. You get the shot to protect yourself from the flu. The shot is meant to prevent you from getting the virus, and it’s a good thing,” senior Bryan Bostrom said.