Is It Even Necessary To Get The Influenza Vaccination?
By Luke Johnson| Environmental Studies Major
Influenza, also known as the flu, is one of the most common infectious disease in the world, yet it is still incredibly lethal and causes thousands of death each year. “Over 36,000 persons, especially elder individuals die from influenza every year” (Torpy 2008). Despite this prevalence, many people are unaware of what causes the disease and why people contract it every year.
A common misunderstanding is that influenza is caused by a bacteria and not a virus. While a secondary bacterial pneumonia can develop after influenza that can cause sinus infections, ear infections, and other small common disease, influenza is an infectious disease that is caused by a virus. The influenza virus is spread through the air; it dies not need direct contact with another individual to be spread. Once the virus is established, it can cause lower repertory issues, such as a deep cough that tends to bring phlegm through the esophagus, fever above 102 degrees, night sweets that keep you awake at night, aches and pains throughout the body, and vomiting. The year 2018 represents our 100 year relationship and awareness of influenza in our society. And 100 years later, we still do not have a guaranteed way to prevent you from contracting the infectious disease of influenza.
In 1918, a veterinarian by the name of J.S. Koen discovered influenza in a unique and interesting way. Koen was studying pigs and how they reacted to doses of the flu, rather than studying through human interaction with the virus. Later in the same year a man by the name of Robert Shope did similar test as Koen and made ground breaking discoveries. “Shope was not only able to reproduce the disease, but more importantly, he went on to demonstrate that pigs can also become ill when filtered fluid was used for inoculation” (Gamblin 2008). Ever since that time period, we have been working on and trying to perfect a vaccination that will prevent and cure the disease; we still have yet to discover a such perfected craft. Finding a cure that would eliminate the influenza disease from our immune system when we are ill and has the capability of preventing influenza from getting in our immune system in the first place virus would be an incredible break through in our society. “About 20% of children and 5% of adults worldwide develop symptomatic influenza each year” (Nicholson 2003). Because there isn’t a perfect vaccination that can prevent influenza due to the many different types and variations of influenza, should we even get a vaccination? Is it worth our time and money? Because of mutation in the influenza vaccination, one is as equally as likely to acquire the influenza disease regardless of getting the vaccination.
There are three main types of the influenza infection, those being type A, type B, and type C. Type A and B are the most common types that brings the annual flu virus that leaves us coughing and sneezing for weeks. Type C if a much less common type a and has much less severe symptoms. In these different types of influenza there are also different strains. Different types of influenza are categorized by the virus that causes them, new virus are introduced by being introduced into an environment by someone that is native to the environment and has the virus and passes it on to someone else. Strains of influenza include commonly the H1N1 virus, the H3N2 virus type B. The H sands for hemagglutinin and the N stands for neuraminidase, and together they can create and mutate over 144 different stains of influenza. There are also different forms of influenza that you can contract. First is a latent form of the disease which is a form that is not contagious, but is still in you system but your body is fighting it of naturally. The other form is know as active, this means that you have the disease and you are contagious and feeing symptoms because you body can’t handle it so you need to rest and take cold and flu medicine, like NyQuil the disease.
Finally, there are cures and vaccinations that will help treat this infectious disease. “Because influenza is a viral infection, it cannot be treated with antibacterial antibiotics. Several antiviral prescription medications are available that may help the virus” (Torpy 2008). The best and most common treatment is bed rest and and throat lozenge followed by replenishing the liquids in your body, water is super important because it washes out the infection. Medication includes decongestants, cough medication, and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If symptoms continue past a week and a half, go to the doctor and get tested.
The influenza disease changes it’s genetics quite often, making it challenging for doctors to find a antigenic drift, or a way to find a vaccination that kills the disease.
There are multiple complicated steps that go into forming a influenza vaccination. “To provide an effective vaccine requires not only good science, but also good luck.” (Coonrod, 2001). The influenza disease changes it’s genetics quite often, making it challenging for doctors to find a antigenic drift, or a way to find a vaccination that kills the disease. “The antigenic drift must be located, characterized, and tested for its ability to grow well in vitro” (Coonrod, 2001). There are different types of the influenza vaccination that we currently in our world today. We are most familiar with the flu shot that is talked about every year. The flu shot contains a Latent, or inactive form of the actual influenza virus in the vaccine. This gives our body the change to gain immunity to the disease and allow our immune system to be able to get sense of the virus so if we come in contact with the virus we are prepared. The other most common form of an influenza vaccination is a nasal spray. This option has been redacted for the past two years because it showed to be less affective than the shot in scientific studies backing 2016. The nasal spray actually has an active form of the influenza virus in the vaccination. This actually gives your body a chance to fight of the bacteria that is causing the the virus in your body to become prepared. In years past this has caused problems in our immune system. The active form of the virus was causing problems of immunity, humans were contract the disease influenza disease by having the nasal spray form of vaccine. The nasal spay vaccination however is being modified and expected to be an option for next flu season.
There are benefits to receiving the vaccine that would harm you more if you didn’t. The main point of getting the vaccination is to feel that you have done the most to prepare for the flu season, and why wouldn’t you? Why would you want to risk having a higher chance of contracting influenza when you could just get the vaccination and feel comforted. “ influenza vaccination is a beneficial and cost-effectively of reducing and preventing morbidity and morality among people at increased risk of complications from the flu” (Crawford 2011). The influenza is one of the most deadly diseases in our world and should not to be taken lightly. “Case studies have shown that 1 in 5 Americans are infected each year. Roughly 226,000 people are hospitalized from influenza each year” (Coonrod, 2001). “The vaccine use decreases influenza-associated hospitalizations by 71.1% among all adults and 76.8% among adults 50 years of age or older (Cotugno 2017). However, vaccination may not be the best decision. For example “In ages of teens and young adults, more people contracted the disease after they got the vaccination than those who never got the vaccine in 2015” (Cotugno 2017). The different types and strains of influenza make it almost impossible for you to be immune to the infection so saving your money may be the best option.
Because of mutation in the influenza virus, one is as equally as likely to acquire the influenza disease regardless of getting the vaccination. Whether or not you receive the influenza disease is a personal choice we chose to make. Personally I have never contracted this infectious disease, and I have never had the vaccination. Every year on the news it seem that doctors and researchers seem to create vaccination that don’t correlate to the illness that is outbreaking that year. Whether or not you receive the influenza vaccination every year doesn’t make a difference because there is such a slim chance that the vaccination will protect you from the flu that is outbreaking that year. The facts are back and fourth on the matter, both sides of the argument have their reasons why we should get the vaccination and why we should not. And in the end we are all still at the same amount of risk as everyone else regardless of if we chose to get our flu shot. Influenza is a powerful infectious disease that takes the lives of many and through this experience my eyes have been opened to how much time and money is put into vaccinations, all for a slim chance of giving yourself a better chance of not contracting the disease.
Works Cited:
Coonrod, J. Donald. “Will New Diagnostic Tests and Antiviral Drugs Make a Difference?” Chest, June 2001, p. 1630. Expanded Academic ASAP, http: link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bethel.edu/apps/doc/A76426994/EAIM? u=clic_bethel&sid=EAIM&xid=c3be3e9f. Accessed 13 Apr. 2018.
Cotugno, Stephanie, et al. “Impact of Pharmacist Intervention on Influenza Vaccine Assessment and Documentation in Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, vol. 74, 02 Dec. 2017, pp. S90-S94. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2146/ajhp160755.
Crawford, VLS, et al. “The Effect of Patient Characteristics upon Uptake of the Influenza Vaccination: A Study Comparing Community-Based Older Adults in Two Healthcare Systems.” Age & Ageing, vol. 40, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 35–41. EBSCOhost, doi:ageing/afq152.
Gamblin, S.J. et al. 2008. The structure and receptor binding properties of the 1918 influenza hemagglutinin. Science, 303:1838–1842.
Nicholson, Karl G, et al. “Influenza.” The Lancet, vol. 362, no. 9397, 2003, pp. 1733–1745., doi: 10.1016/S014–673.
Torpy, Janet M, et al. “Influenza.” Jama, vol. 293, no. 8, 2008, pp. 1024–1024., doi:10.1001/ jama.293.8.1024.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Luke Johnson, a freshman at Bethel University in Arden Hills Minnesota majoring in environmental studies, home town is Saint Paul Minnesota. Would like to work as a DNR officer in the state of Minnesota. Enjoys fishing, baseball, and relaxing in the outdoors.
