I find myself battling my conscience every year debating whether or not to receive the flu shot. So far I have declined, and this year especially I am glad that I did not get vaccinated. The flu shot was recalled in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Britain after finding suspended particles in the vaccine. Health Canada stated that such particles have been present in other vaccines with no health hazards, but as a safety precaution distribution was canceled.
Is it coincidence then that flu symptoms swept through town at the same time of the recall, or was it indeed a side effect of the drug? It could very well be that since there was less vaccine available the flu affected more people, but I have to question the method of injecting a dead virus into a healthy body. What are the long term effects of artificially engineering our immune systems?
Just as our bodies change to fight the virus, so does the virus change to better infect us. This leads to superbugs. According to the Office of National Statistics, from 2004-2007 more than 26,000 deaths were either related to or directly caused by superbugs. I wholeheartedly support research on curing diseases and preventing viruses, but I don't believe that we should be so eager to get vaccinated. The answer to being healthy is living in a healthy environment. Start with the fundamental rules; wash your hands, eat healthy foods, exercise, and get enough sleep. Live by these principles and flu shots for the general public should be unnecessary. Let's not change our bodies any more than we have to.
Rachael Bepple
Prince George
