Vaccines have been around since the 1700s, dating back to Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccination. The breakthrough of the time involved inoculating people with cowpox, a related virus that lacked any lethal component. Although cowpox would leave people fatigued for a day or two, the individual’s immune system would then become resistant to any smallpox infection. For the most part, vaccines use the same basic principles to this day, although they now often use inactivated virus particles to develop immunity rather than a similar disease.
The vaccination process became a point of controversy during the COVID pandemic and has spread into debates over vaccines that were long seen as uncontroversial, such as the polio and measles vaccines. These viruses were once largely eliminated as regularly circulating diseases in the United States and have only just started to make a comeback at the same time as the anti-vaccination sentiment entered the American media. For less lethal diseases such as the flu or COVID-19, the incentive for healthy people to get vaccinated is much lower than for other people and other diseases. Mass vaccination is much more effective at protecting people at risk than simply having some individuals receive the vaccine. So, as a government, there is a valid reason for encouraging mass vaccination to protect the entire population.
The argument against mass vaccination in the United States centers on infringement on individual rights and liberties. In a nation founded on freedom, personal choice is a core principle of government decision-making.
The flu vaccine is probably the most relevant to the Belmont Hill community, as the vaccination clinic was held on campus earlier this fall. The benefits of receiving the vaccine depend heavily on each individual, but the research suggests there is very little downside. As clichéd as this statement has become, “the most common side effect is pain at the injection site” or fatigue. As cliché as this statement has become, it is true. The most common reservation about getting vaccinated is just the inconvenience. One may feel tired for the rest of the day, experience a sore arm, or simply dislike getting a shot. These factors create minor barriers that discourage many people from receiving a flu vaccine.
For the majority of Belmont Hill students, who are young and fit, the incentive to get vaccinated against the flu may not be very strong, but there really isn’t a great reason not to get it. Depending on the season, the flu vaccine reduces infection rates by 40-60%. Although the rates aren’t astounding, an additional 50% reduction in risk can’t hurt. Furthermore, the more people get vaccinated, the lower the infection rate, so the benefits compound. If everyone in the country were 50% less likely to contract the flu, the population would experience herd immunity. The vaccine significantly reduces the viral load an individual carries, thereby making it harder to transmit the illness. The vaccine is extremely effective at reducing the severity of flu cases. This means less serious cases, less hospitalization, and most importantly, fewer deaths, all as a result of vaccination. This would, in turn, free up hospital space for funding for other health issues that don’t currently have as simple a solution. Mass vaccination would hinder the chain of viral transmission and protect the people who can’t receive the vaccine, such as infants and people with compromised immune systems.
As inconvenient as it might be to receive the flu vaccine, it is an unselfish act that benefits the greater good.
Besides injection site discomfort, there are extremely low health risks in receiving the vaccine. The flu vaccine was created in the 1940’s and has undergone extensive safety testing since then. The results conclusively show that there are almost no health risks from receiving the vaccine, and that it cannot give you the flu. In recent tests, upwards of 10 million people have experienced no serious side effects after being administered the vaccine.
The flu vaccine may not have the same success rate as measles or smallpox vaccines, which achieve over 90% immunity. However, it remains a valuable measure to boost immunity in individuals and populations. As someone who’s only gotten the flu once, in a year in which I received the flu vaccine, my personal experience doesn’t persuade me to be very enthusiastic about getting the vaccine. Still, the results on a larger scale suggest that receiving the flu vaccine is a positive step to take in one’s health journey. While the cost-benefit analysis differs for each person, and they should have the right to choose whether the flu vaccine is right for them, the research advocates receiving it. The flu vaccine may not be as crucial or as effective as some other vaccines, but the benefits of getting it outweigh the downsides, which are almost nonexistent.
