There’s a lot of hoopla right now about the so-called H1N1 virus or as mid westerners who raise hogs for a living hate to call it, the “swine flu.” Some people are reluctant to be immunized against the flu by taking the vaccine shot or nasal spray. Today marks another anniversary of the end of small pox throughout the world. Let’s be rational and not emotional. Think about polio, measles, mumps, pneumonia, and many other diseases which have been practically eliminated by vaccines.
Vaccines are our best defense against infectious diseases, but vaccines may not be 100% safe or effective. Our bodies react differently to vaccines. Some people may have side effects after vaccination, and some may not be completely protected from disease. Scientists are constantly working to develop safer, more effective vaccines.
Vaccines, like any medication, can cause side effects and pose risks. There may be rare side effects or delayed reactions that may be detected only after the vaccine is given to millions of people after it is licensed and recommended. However, a decision not to immunize a child or an at risk adult also involves risk. It is a decision to put the child, the elderly or immuno-compromised and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of getting a disease that could be deadly.
Swine flu may not have reached the epidemic proportions that the Obama administration had heralded. It may not call for mandatory vaccinations that the US government has issued, but it’s a safe bet that people at risk for contracting the virus could benefit from the same science that wiped out so many deadly diseases and has extended millions of lives around the globe.
Good thinking Rick