Flu Vaccine: Yes or No?

We can't say we didn't see this coming. The H1N1 swine flu virus is making inroads as we hear of flu-related school closings and other measures being taken to stop its spread. Health experts are calling it a pandemic. Something with global implications needs to be taken seriously, yet many are dismissing the threat as just another flu going around or an example of government agencies or the media trying to alarm people unnecessarily. Many people, including my morning co-host Rebecca, are concerned that rolling out this H1N1 vaccine so hastily may mean it has not been sufficiently tested. The story on the internet and tabloid shows about the woman who got the vaccine and now can only walk backwards hasn't helped alleviate the fear. A crisis of confidence in public officials may also be fueling this reluctance to get inoculated. As a student of history, I know there are serious ramifications of a pandemic. Millions around the world died in a flu pandemic at the end of World War I. For many, including the very young, old and those around them, there seems to be greater danger in doing nothing than taking a chance on adverse reactions. There is certainly no outcry from the medical community warning that the preventative medicine may be worse than the affliction. I do remember getting a swine flu shot in college in 1976. Swine flu fears turned out to be a false alarm then. I think this outbreak is proving to be more serious. In this instance, an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure.