Article Rebuttal

Flu season has come upon us once again this year and so many of us were pondering the question should I or should I not get the flu vaccination. I was amazed to read an article on Foxnews.com by Loren Grush entitled, "Flu outbreak: Why are so many not getting vaccinated?" This year's flu season was particularly nasty because of a type A influenza called H3N2. The article states flu-like symptoms have increased from 2.8 percent to 5.6 percent within the last several months compared to the peak rate of 2.2 percent last year. The article also details that only 29 states are reporting high levels of "influenza-like illness" but what about the other 21 states. The flu virus is prone to affect everyone; did it just infect the 29 states?

There are myths vs. facts surrounding getting the flu vaccine and I found some to ways in which to frighten people into getting the vaccine, whether they wanted to or not. I, myself, did not get the flu vaccine for the past several years and I did not get the flu during that time. This is one myth where people think they are immune to the vaccine but the article states that this mindset is potentially unsafe for themselves and others around them. What I would like to know, how can they prove this? According to the article, the flu is the number one cause of infectious disease deaths. While the flu is one type of infectious disease, it is not the number one cause. According to the (CDC, 2012), pneumonia is the number one cause of infectious disease death and the flu is not even in the top five. The article wants people to believe that the reason they should get the flu vaccine is because there is a chance they can die, which is untrue.

In conclusion, one must decide for themselves if they want to get a flu shot for themselves or for their children. According to the (CDC, 2012), children from the age of 6 months should get the flu vaccine which I totally agree with because their immune system may not be as strong compared to adults. So remember, you have a choice of getting or not getting the flu vaccine - the choice is yours.

REFERENCES

Grush, L. (2013, January 10). Flu outbreak: Why are so many not getting vaccinated? Fox News. Retrieved from: www.foxnews.com

www.cdc.com