Can Swine Flu Shots Kill or Paralyze?
A 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Likely, is the Flu Vaccine Worth its Risks?
Nov 10, 2009
Swine flu shots are not designed to kill. Hordes of swine flu reports and articles swarm the Internet. Many, if not most, are overly embellished. They rant about how the swine flu or the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine is equivalent to a modern-day plague.
Surely, both the swine flu and the 2009 H1N1 vaccine can kill. One should be well informed before accepting or refusing a swine flu shot. This article seeks to dispel myths surrounding the swine flu shot in hopes that people will neither be scared into receiving the flu vaccination nor led away from it by misinformation.
2009 H1N1 Virus, the "Swine Flu," is Spreading, Increasing the Need for Flu Shots
The 2009 H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu, derived its name from its resemblances to influenza viruses typically afflicting pigs. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a top source for accurate swine flu information, the flu strain is actually a "quadruple reassortant" virus; its genes come from two strains of European and Asian swine virus and the avian (bird) flu and human strains.
Like the seasonal flu, the swine flu likely spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing, and other direct contact with the virus. It is currently spreading across North America, as well as the rest of the world. Many people have been afflicted. Many more will become sick. Per CDC, most will recover without medical treatment.
Yet, an unfortunate few will not fair so well. In response, the 2009 H1H1 vaccine was developed. But many fear the new vaccine, likely a result of media-inflated reports of dreadful side effects. These side effects, though real, afflict a small percentage of the population. In many cases, they are avoidable.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Swine Flu Vaccine Facts and Myths
CDC dedicates its time to educating the public about swine flu shots. Here are some misconceptions CDC aims to correct:
- Is the swine flu in the United States? Yes, and it is spreading.
- Can the swine flu kill those infected? Yes, the swine flu may cause death, much like the seasonal flu may cause death. However, per CDC, "[m]ost people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment." The elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems and/or other ailments, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or asthma are at risk for more severe harm.
- What are swine flu symptoms? Symptoms of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus include: "fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue." Some people may experience vomiting and diarrhea. Others may have respiratory symptoms.
- What's the difference between swine flu and seasonal flu? Seasonal influenza varies in both severity and duration. Per CDC, 36,000 people in the U.S. each year "die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes . . . Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65." Unlike the seasonal flu, the "2009 H1N1 flu has caused greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years of age than older people."
- Can the swine flu vaccine kill or paralyze? Yes, it can. However, severe, vaccine-related illnesses are rare. Most can be avoided with thorough patient intake evaluations and competent medical care. According to CDC: "These reactions are more likely to occur among persons with a severe allergy to eggs, because the viruses used in the influenza vaccine are grown in hens' eggs." Perhaps less controllable, "about one person per 100,000 people per year will develop Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an illness that, in the worst cases, may cause paralysis. CDC credits this statistic to the disastrous 1976 swine flu vaccine. A more recent study suggests "that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine."
Fact: The Swine Flu Shot is the Best and Safest Way to Avoid the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus
The best and safest way to prevent contracting the swine flu is to be inoculated. Per CDC, vaccination "stimulates an immune response using a killed or weakened virus that uses the body’s own defense mechanisms to prevent infection."
According to The National Ledger article, "Swine Flu Vaccine: H1N1 Symptoms in Children Have Parents Asking Questions," supply and demand for the swine flu vaccine are both shorter than expected. In his November 8, 2009 article, Jeff Freeland notes that despite many parents' decisions against vaccination for their children, shortages of the vaccine exist. Citing a recent poll, Freeland states that, thus far, "only 30% of those that wanted it, actually got the vaccine."
These shortages are troublesome. Says Freeland, "[f]lu-related hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase and are very high nation-wide compared to what is expected for this time of year." Yet, the vaccine supply is currently insufficient to meet demands.
CDC somewhat alleviates these concerns. "It is expected that there will be enough 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for anyone who chooses to get vaccinated. The US federal government has procured 250 million doses of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine."
Decision Concerning Swine Flu Shots Should be Made After Consulting a Physician
Everyone should consider inoculation. However, swine flu shots are recommended for at-risk groups, parents of young children, and healthcare professionals. Decisions to receive the flu shot or to decline it should be made after consulting a doctor.
See Can Seasonal Flu Shots Kill or Paralyze? for information concerning the seasonal flu vaccine.
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