“Okay, just a little stick, and some pressure.”
With the arrival of October comes the repeated phrase spoken by nurses across the nation, “just a little stick,” paired with the strong pressure of the inactivated flu virus being injected into your deltoid.
Although the act of getting the flu shot is not enjoyable at its most basic, it is incredibly important to be protected against the seasonal flu. As collegiettes™ attempting to stay healthy amidst the pressures of college, the flu shot is one’s best defense against the annual plague.
The flu shot is at the forefront of health controversies, in the same league as genetically modified food, artificial sweeteners, and pregnancy prevention. Many argue that vaccinations lead to developmental defects and fight that after getting the shot one becomes sick because of the presence of an inactive virus in the inoculation. What these parties fail to recognize is that the flu shot does not contain a live virus, but a dead and inactive form of the virus that is proven to build your body’s defense against the live virus. It takes 14 days for a vaccinated person to become immune to the virus, so one may come into contact with the flu before they are immune. There is also a natural bodily reaction to the inoculation as the body builds defense against the virus. You cannot get the flu virus from the flu shot—it is a dead and inactive virus.
As young women in college, our age group falls into the 17 percent of people who are not in the Center for Disease Control’s recommended age groups for vaccination, but it is still very necessary for women in college to be vaccinated. At a rigorous, full-time institution such as Franklin and Marshall, it is imperative that students attend class. If one were to contract the flu virus, she would not be able to make it to class. Last year, the swine flu epidemic swept its way across Hartman Green and into the residence halls, landing many students in quarantine. In past years, the shot has proven to be 80 percent effective in preventing the contraction of the virus.
So, with the assertion that no one looks good with a fever, body aches, and the head cold of a century, go out and get your flu shot. Defend yourself in the best way possible against the flu.