What’s in a flu vaccine?

Let the body heal itself

Graphic+by+Maddie+Anderson

Graphic by Maddie Anderson

Story by Ashlyn Winters, staff writer

Each season, the flu virus hits harder and harder. Although there are available flu vaccinations, most of the time the strand is wrong. I have been very lucky. I have never had the flu in the past, but I have also never had the flu vaccination.

The flu vaccination gives the patient a strand of the virus so that their body can be properly immune to it once flu season hits. Although the strand has been guessed correctly a handful of times, flu season still hits people out of nowhere when it comes later than expected. In the end, basically everyone ends up getting the flu. So why put dangerous chemicals into your body if you’ll just wind up getting sick anyways?

The human body is designed to fight off diseases and infections naturally with our immune system, so is the flu vaccine really necessary?

Some people have no knowledge of what is actually in the vaccine, only what its purpose is. There could potentially be substances in vaccines that weaken our immune systems so that more people will get the flu and spend more money on health care.

This year, hundreds of students have been out of school fighting the flu. In addition, many of these students have received the vaccination yet still caught the flu. Simple tasks such as washing your hands before you eat and getting enough sleep can prevent viruses such as the flu from making you its next victim.

Some people may disagree with those who do not receive the flu vaccine because it can spread the virus quicker. However, the likelihood of someone catching the flu, who has received the vaccine, is just as likely to catch it if they didn’t have the vaccine based on the circumstances.

At this point in time, medical research has taken a drastic curve in the knowledge that has opened doors to solutions to diseases and illnesses. Unfortunately, not all of this knowledge is dispensed to the public so that health care businesses will continue to thrive.

All in all, people should step away from flu vaccines and let their body do what it was made to do, which is to heal itself.