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Subscribe to RSSHow widespread is the flu this year? Very. So far, it's spread to 47 states and it hasn't even peaked yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The effects are being felt on an individual level and also on a large scale.
The mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, has declared a public health emergency because of an explosive rise in flu cases. In Kiefer, Okla., with the absentee rate in schools due to flu hitting 25 percent, the school district announced it would cancel classes. In Cleveland, a flu task force meets for 20 minutes every morning to handle the overflow of those sick with the flu at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The emergency room at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center in Columbus has instituted a fast-track system to move college students with the flu quickly through the emergency room to keep space free for older, more vulnerable patients.
The best defense we have against the flu is a shot. Still, some people resist getting one. Some say they just don't work that well. Others have concerns about the contents of the vaccine. Others just think the shots aren't that necessary and they'd rather take their chances and power through the flu if they get sick. But here's the thing: a flu shot isn't just for you -- it's also for those around you.
For those who still say the flu isn’t really serious, consider the death toll so far — Minnesota has had 27 flu-related deaths reported; Pennsylvania 22; Massachusetts, 18; Oklahoma, 8, Illinois, 6, and Maryland 1. Nine nursing home residents have died in New York. Twenty infants and children have died nationwide. And those are just the confirmed flu death cases. When someone starts to go on about the risks and dangers of flu shots a quick visit to the morgue should suffice to shut them up.
Things are only going to get worse. We are barely half way through the flu season. It's a nasty flu, making healthy people very sick and sick people in need of intensive care or worse.
This year the efficacy of the flu shot is about 62 percent. That is not a great number, but it is not bad. It's still worth getting one. The ethical reasons go far beyond your personal self-interest.
First, you ought to get a flu shot in order to protect those who cannot benefit from them. Second, the more folks who get vaccinated the harder it is for the flu to spread. Flu vaccination does a community a lot of good.
Newborns and those who are immune-compromised due to diseases, transplants, or cancer therapies cannot benefit from flu shots — they lack enough immunity capability. The elderly don’t build as much resistance to flu from a shot as do the young. And fetuses are at risk of dying from the flu unless their mothers get a shot.
The best protection those in these high-risk groups have is for those they come in contact with to have been vaccinated. Doing the right thing means protecting your grandma, your neighbor’s new baby and your son’s friend with primary immunodeficiency disease from being infected by -- you. You may not die from the flu. They could.
In addition to protecting those who cannot protect themselves there is strength in numbers in flu vaccination. The more of us who get vaccinated, even with a less than perfect vaccine, the harder it is for the flu virus to spread. This is called "herd immunity" and it applies to people as well as animals. If you think of yourself as a good neighbor and a responsible member of your community then you ought to get a shot so everyone gets the maximum benefit.
That is a hard message to get across. Most people naturally assume that if someone is sticking a needle in their arm it is to prevent them from getting sick. In fact, flu vaccination is for your family’s good, your neighbor’s good and the good of the newborn baby down the street.
A lot of us don’t like needles. But that is not enough reason to put others at risk. Many think they never get very sick from the flu. Some don’t, but they can still infect someone else.
Some still worry about the safety of the vaccine even though study after study shows the shots are safe and that getting a shot is far, far more beneficial than not getting one.
But, all that said, the best arguments for everyone to get a flu shot is that if we all do, the most vulnerable will be far less likely to die and we will be far less likely to infect one another. Don’t be selfish. Take care of your neighbor. Find a store or doctor that still has vaccine and get a shot.
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., is the head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center.
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The CDC and its scare tactics in lockstep with the lucrative pharmaceutic companies is a laugh. Today it was reported on my local TV station that the shot was 50% effective then later on the national news it was up to 62%. Yes they play with the numbers and would never report a low number, heck it would hurt the pharmaceutical companies. How about how many are injured from the shots. That is never widely reported. In some cases it exceeds the problem to begin with.
I'm a pediatrician, and the vast majority of pediatricians vaccinate their OWN CHILDREN. Setting aside the usual scientific arguments from individuals who have devoted long hours to the study of medicine for years (and are not swayed by anecdotal evidence or Dr Google), we give the flu vaccine to THOSE WE LOVE THE MOST. So ask yourselves.....why?
I've had a reaction to a vaccine before (not the flu one). However, that does not stop me from getting my flu shot every year. The one year I did not get a shot, I got the flu and was bedridden for 2 weeks. I can't afford that.
There's no sense in both living in fear and taking no precautions. I agree with you, Thomas129, what you say is true.
Once more the quack "ethicist" at work. If the Cochrane Database, the most trusted source for real evidence based medicine, concludes the shots don't work why would this idiot push them? Caplan is such an imposter. His "ethics" are to promote pharmaceuticals for which he gets kick backs. Why in the world does NBC news run the unethical ravings of this jerk? The only reason I can think of is that his pieces draw so many responses from those he offends.
this is the outlet for the US slaves............
the fascist government propaganda machine throws out this stuff as a "pressure relief valve"
just like Sport games.........
the Bell will toll
Gordon, you make a good point about a few things, but you're starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist and a machine yourself, as you keep calling Laureli.
they just want your money. the shot doesnt even cover this strain. simple put they just want the cash. there the selfish ones.
I wonder if the ethicist would recommend putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger if the odds were 62% that it would not go off? With the shot, the odds are 90% that they're injecting Mercury into your body and only 62% that the shot is in the least effective.
As an American, I do have the RIGHT to say what goes in my body and what does not. With that said, I have had a severe reaction to both a flu shot and vaccine so I will choose to NEVER have a flu or vaccination ever again. I will choose to take other precautionary measures: washing my hands diligently, NOT coughing or sneezing on others, staying home for the entire duration of any illness (which has already happened) and ensuring that I wiped down grocery carts, door handles (or grabbing them with my sleeve or something else that is handy) and anything else I come into contact with. People should practice good hygience, but they don't and this is part of the bigger picture and problem. People do not take care of themselves, boost their immune system through diet, exercise and sleep and that is an enormous problem. Besides, I do not wish to ingest more thiomersal (mercury), aluminum, formaldehyde and a plethora of other materials that cause reactions in the human body.
Everyone has the absolute right to choose what they do or do not do with their own body. It is no one else's right to dictate someone's personal health choices to them. I've lived very well for 42 years with no flu shot, and have no intention of getting one in the future. I also respect the rights of those who wish to receive them. Unfortunately I am not able to take every single person's health status upon myself as my own responsibility. Their health is their responsibility, or in the case of babies and children, the responsibilty of their parents, and all are perfectly welcome to receive a flu shot. There are many more important issues to worry about with regard to keeping people safe in our society, such as gun violence. We should be focusing on that instead of being admonished for our own personal health decisions.
Becky, a very sane and unemotional comment without an axe to grind, in my opinion. I've never had a flu shot and I've never had the flu and I spent almost 30 years working as an RN in geriatrics and chronic care facilities so I was certainly at great risk.
For all the links; pro and con flu shots, being thrown around here... people might type into their search engines instead... "How to prevent infection. How to prevent spreading infection." You'd be amazed at what you can learn and you can leave "flu shots" completely out of your discussions. (Since, surely, people infect other people every day with all sorts of things, aside from the flu and those people may die.)
For those who will continue to believe that injecting chemicals and who knows what else into your body is a safe practice and without any future consequences... continue to have at it every year and feel safer. Why not leave those who feel safer not having a flu shot to their own decisions? Try being a little more tolerant of those who don't believe as you do. After all; we tolerate quite nicely the fact that you get a shot every year. Most of us are not bothered at all by what you decide to do. And remember... you've had your flu shot so, according to you, you can't get the flu anyway... right?
i've come to believe that newsvine's comment section is dominated by the ignorant, hateful and superstitious. every time i read the anti vaccine drivel, i despair for the future of this country. the question we should be asking is why wont we invest in developing a better vaccine, instead of push alternative medicine crap and paranoid big pharma offal. vaccines are not very profitable, but medicines, including the vitamin market, are. want shills in here, anyone that promises real viral defense from D3, cayenne or megadoses of vitamin c.
@ just a cleaning lady. If, indeed you are "just a cleaning lady" I would like to point out the you do NOT know your butt from a hole in the ground. You could NOT pay me to get the flu shot. I am a "right wing religious nut" AND I vaccinate my kids. Comparing mammograms and vaccines, and estrogen therapy to the flu shot is LAUGHABLE! That flu vaccine is LAST years flu and will do NOTHING to protect you from the strain going around this year. Which has absolutely NOTHING to do with polio, small pox, TB or any thing else you mentioned. I am not selfish either. I stay home when I am sick; my kids stay home when they are sick; my husband stays home from work when he is sick. Get over yourself and realize that the vaccine is NOT for everyone.
I agree only for anyone thats around "the vulnerable". Otherwise nonsense.
I will NEVER get a vaccination. And it will be war if anyone ever tries to force one on me.
Once again the good doc (LOL) has shown that his primary focus is to be a cheerleader and supporter of big business especially if it is in the chemical or pharmaceutical industries. Just like his bull about GMO salmon and his lack of concern for natural foods, he is showing that he is less of a doctor and more of a hired mouth.
If you get a flu shot, why are you so worried about whether I get one or not?
Never had a flu shot. Never had the flu.
As anyone who knows anything at all about medicine, we got rid of polio and small pox without vaccines. It was by not getting vaccinated that these plagues were wiped out. Right? Right??
/sarcasm
your headline is extremely offensive! just because a person chooses not to have a flu shot does not mean that they are selfish. their are many reasons NOT to get the shot, you morons!
My 11year old (perfectly healthy) son got the (live flu vaccine) nasal FluMist vaccine for the first time last year. He got sick within 24 hours-- rash and stomach ache--within two weeks he couldn't walk and was numb. Brain lesions found. It was diagnosed as (ADEM) Acute disseminated encephelo myelitis -an autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system (brain) triggered by the Live FluMist vaccine--this is a KNOWN side effect. Docs don't report these cases to the CDC either! You have to force them. My son has had autoimmune issues ever since the vaccine including pediatric MS. I will never forgive myself for allowing the pediatrician to scare me into giving him the nasal FluMist. It's truly a shot in the dark! If your doc can't list the toxins and levels in the vaccine, consider not risking the health & safety of your own child. I am not against vaccines. However, in the case of the nasal "FLUMIST", (which is the LIVE virus), it was rushed to market, not regulated or tested for toxins. I WISH I had been "selfish" for my son’s sake and done research before putting an untested and rushed vaccine full of toxins ---into his healthy body. If you have to get a flu vaccine, get the killed annotated virus-"Flu shot"—it may be a little safer.
Approximately 13 years ago I recall having the flu so bad I thought I would die at 14 years of age. Since then I have NEVER, NOT ONCE, had a flu shot. I have yet to get the flu since then, so no thank you.
To all those conspiracy theorist, CDC or Government out to get you, or pushing stuff onto you: That would mean that just about every health organization on the planet is in bed with the US. Really?
To the anecdotes about not having a shot and never getting sick, or the other got the shot and got sick: It is statistics in its simplest form. Even at a protection rate between 50 and 60 percent, the spreading of the virus is way less in an immunized community.
As to the health care workers refusing to be immunized, here in Indiana some nurses just got fired for that. A rare instance to be proud of Indiana.
Yea well Art Caplan, Ph.D you can go F yourself! I'm not concerned with my neighbor I'm concerned with MY well being!
Your article is extremely offensive and I don’t appreciate it!
Selfish to not get a flu shot? That is most ridiculous socialist propaganda I think I have ever seen related to healthcare.
How about this Doc. If I get a flu shot it will very likely paralyze me because I have a history of Gullianne Barre. I only know that because I read the 24 inches of small print that comes with the flu vaccine bottle while I was working in a care center. How often are all of the right questions asked before someone at Walmart sticks you with a needle?
I am not opposed to the flu shot but it should remain an optional thing without "bioethists" trying to manipluate public opinion to guilt people into injecting something into their bodies. My mom always told me to stand up to peer pressure. So thanks but no thanks.
My sister contracted Guillan-Barre following her flu shot, and it has ruined her body. See my post. People have no idea how serious the risk can be when compared to the flu. I'll take the risk of the flu. See my post below for more.
I have seen people develop Guillain-Barre syndrome following a flu shot. One of these was my sister. The doctors that treated her confirmed that the flu shot was most probably the reason she contracted Gillain-Barre. Guillan-Barre devastated my sister's life and ruined her physical well being. She has been totally disabled since about age 36 and still uses a walker today at age 46.
If you read the risk factors on shot disclosures, Guillain-Barre IS a risk factor from the flu shot. Think carefully about this risk ... particularly if you have any weakened or compromised nervous system - like peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, or Charcot Marie Tooth. You could be placing yourself at risk for a lifelong disability. I think the risk factors for Guillan-Barre and other situations are most likely the reason why the majority of health care providers avoid getting the flu shot for themselves or their family.
For me and my family, we take the risk of getting the flu. There will be NO flu shots for us. I have no problems with the morality and ethics of my decision. To the contrary, my decision is based in experience and very well thought out.
Thanks for sharing your story. Best of luck to your sister.
Do I get a vaccine for the common good? No!!! I get vaccines because I fear the specific diseases I get vaccinated for. Do I get a flu shot? Again, no. Why? Because the post-vaccination syndrome I get doesn't make it worth it to me. To call a person "selfish" because that person makes a decision about their own health, is offensive and an extremely unsound ethical argument. Every person needs to make the best decision for their own body. It's called autonomy. It is not incumbent on the individual to sacrifice their autonomy to protect other persons and it's irresponsible to suggest that they are "selfish." I have read Dr. Caplan's essays for years and I have to say, the last few I've read have seriously deviated from established ethical principles. Perhaps, it is time to retire...
PS: I am a physician.
While I understand and appreciate the arguments for getting a flu shot, those of you who hold these views seem to not understand that there are valid contrary points of view, based upon reasonable arguments of their own.
I am not going to cite some study showing how 'horrible' flu shots are. I am not going to say that there is a massive govt conspiracy to harm the population. But what I do say is that many of us have been significantly harmed by modern healthcare in America, and having been harmed before we are less likely to believe that the scientists who work on these vaccines truly know what they are doing. I recognize that the vaccines are created using the best available information and expertise and I do not fault the motives of those who work thus. But I do not believe that we fully understand the ramifications of vaccines or their potential to do harm.
I base this opinion on past incidents where I have been prescribed commonly-used drugs. These supposedly safe and effective treatments caused me severe health problems that nearly killed me. This was not an atypical adverse reaction to these drugs. I tolerated them well, and for a time they were safe and effective. But in time, they caused physiological changes that were clearly harmful.
So my view is that if 'normal' medications have such a propensity for risk and harm, how then can we proclaim the flu vaccine to be any safer? Especially since these vaccines are new creations each year, and therefore do not have the same long history of testing that is found in commonplace prescription drugs.
I think a lot of the pro-vaccine arguments are of the same type as were used to promote using DDT on people to kill pests. They were/are well-intended, but overly enthusiastic and overly sure of the safety of the process before the real story appears.
So my personal soverignty will not be affected by people telling me I am immoral for not abjectly trusting the medical community. I have reason to distrust, as do many others.
so now I'm selfish bc I'm protecting myself from a shot you
know NOTHING about??? please you retard idiots that pretend you know everything
just please stick to your own life. Go get the shot and if it works then why
should you worry???? Get out of my life and stop telling me whats best! I know
one thing for sure and that’s every year when I did take the shot I got sick
and for the past 8 years that I have NOT taken the shot I have YET TO GET SICK!
Maybe it is just luck I don’t know but I'll take my chances. You don’t like it
tough #$%@ but stay out of my life trying to tell me whats best!
A bioethicist? Are you freaking serious!? What kind of crap designation is that? Oh I know you apply online and pay $5.00 so you can get a proper certificate awarding you this auspicious title. You then are declared a sage by some crap media wonks thereby making you THE authoity to declare those who choose not to be injected with chemicals as worthless, selfish lumps of humanity. HAHAHAHAHA......priceless!
Bioethics training programs are available at the graduate certificate, master's and doctoral degree levels
I don't know. I've had a flu shot every year since 1972 and have never had the flu. At my age (over 50) I get flu and pneumonia shots!
Never had the shot and only had the flu once in 25 years so what good is your shot?