 "Photo: Ryan Broderick/The Chronicle")
Last week, a sheet detailing some of the “risks” related to the swine flu vaccine was passed around in a class of mine. The sheet discouraged people from getting the vaccine by explaining that it contained harmful chemicals. At the bottom was a claim so ridiculous it was actually funny; elites in control of the pharmaceuticals plan to use the vaccine to kill off certain segments of the population and enslave those who remain. Although, the idea would make for an interesting novel and movie if anyone wants to take advantage of that.
Fears about the swine (H1N1) flu vaccine have been circulating among a considerable number of people, including parents and talk show hosts. Many parents are deciding not to vaccinate their children and Glenn Beck has even taken time on his show to speak about his dilemma over whether or not to be inoculated. These fears mostly concern the vaccine’s safety, possibilities of rushed manufacturing, and even something as insidious as a government-run conspiracy. Many of these claims are being set forth without evidence or scientific foundation, considering that this virus has resulted, in some cases, death.
Conspiracy theories are good and fun, because who doesn’t enjoy the sense of drama and excitement it temporarily injects into our lives? But there is a difference between theories of the sort that claim America never landed on the moon and theories that fearfully try to prevent people from being vaccinated from a potentially lethal, contagious illness. According to The New York Times, by Oct. 23, the World Health Organization determined that 5,000 people died from swine flu. Within the US, the virus has resulted in over 6,000 hospitalizations and 600 deaths. I have not included the statistics on death to scare anyone, simply to show that it is a legitimate outcome.
To be fair, Director General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan stated that the flu pandemic was only moderately severe. Most of those who contract it have mild symptoms and completely recuperate.
According to The New York Times, the H1N1 flu vaccine was developed using the same method as the seasonal flu vaccine. This second vaccine was necessary as this particular flu strain (H1N1) differs from the regular strain of flu.
It might be fair to say that a lot of the backlash against the vaccine has more to do with a distrust of the government and media to provide honest and entirely accurate information. Many may also be concerned that the vaccine is serving as another means of profit for the multi-billion pharmaceutical industry. I believe it is natural and even healthy to question the intentions of powerful authorities with influence over hundreds of millions of individuals, but, I also believe that wisdom and caution should be exercised in doing so. The government and pharmaceutical companies may not be free from corruption and greed, but when there are potential lives to be saved, it is especially vital to deliver reputable and accurate information, not merely opinions grounded in fear.
Deciding whether to get vaccinated or not is a personal choice. If you have legitimate concerns about the vaccine’s safety, you should obviously be allowed to express those concerns and opt out of being vaccinated. But to spread false and unsubstantiated information about a treatment which could save lives is irresponsible and negligent. I do not believe those who do so carry this as their intention, but the effects are dangerous in that they do influence those who are still undecided.
In some ways, we have been removed from the concept of swine flu as a deadly disease—a result of pop culture constantly poking fun at the hysteria, or the simple fact of not knowing anyone who has been affected. While this may apply to many individuals, the unfortunate truth is that there are also many who never recover from it, and this vaccine is an attempt to prevent further deaths. If there is any piece of advice I could offer in this debate, it would be to base your decision on whether to be vaccinated on sound reason and not allow fear as a method of influencing others on a matter that is truly serious.
21 comments
please follow close. atleast check into it
we really are in trouble
a stroke from a vaccine?! you are an ignoramus ! the fact that you posted your comments here suggests that you are a hopeless cyberchondriac and a liar...a real doctor would not advise his patient not to be vaccinted. If they did consider the vaccine unsafe they would decline to advise at best...you are laughable.
"Bow-wow! Rrrrowf! Bow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow! Arroooooooo!"Honestly. These people are too daft to live.Go ahead, skip the flu shot. Take yourselves and your offspring out of the gene pool.
SO many questions, so few unbribed people to ask them.
It's true that Swine Flu is overblown, but paranoid conspiracy theorists have got to give it a rest. It makes it hard for anyone to take conspiracy theories seriously.