As the arrival date of the H1N1 vaccine comes closer and closer for the J.J. Oakley Health Services here at Tech, numerous groups of people are showing concern over the safety of the vaccine.The federal government posted all pertinent testing and results on the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site, cdc.gov.
That being said, here is a brief synopsis of the findings: yes, the vaccine is safe.
However, you should use precaution. You need to know what is in the shot before you have it administered. Information is available on the CDC’s Web site.
You should always know what is going into your body. For example, if you have a peanut allergy, you wouldn’t eat something cooked in peanut oil.
Even with this warning, negative reactions are rare.
Most of us have seen the video of the Washington Redskins cheerleader who had an adverse reaction and is now disabled.
Terribly sad situations like that stick with us because they are so rare, like plane crashes. They automatically hold our attention because it catches us off-guard as we assume the safety of the planes.
And, we assume the safety of planes because they have a great track record, similar to the vaccines administered to children. I mean there’s a reason we vaccinate children against, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, and so on.
So, with all the facts and much of common sense pointing to the safety of the vaccine, why are certain people so adamantly against the vaccine? Politics.
Without naming names, there are plenty of pundits and self-proclaimed experts on the news channel that claims to be fair and balanced.
They are politicizing the issue of safety for their own political gain. This is the most monstrous and repulsive form of rhetoric.
These cults of personality are willing to sacrifice their follower’s safety in an effort to stick it to the current presidential administration.
So what happens when someone dies from H1N1 because they did not get the vaccine? Oh, it’s the other party’s fault.
Ask Joe Wilson, everybody’s favorite senator from South Carolina, who voted against funding the vaccine and now complains there is not enough available.
I’m not sayin’ anything, I’m just sayin’. This arms race of tragedy is despicable.
Have some faith in our scientists’ ability to cure diseases. Remember the last time you got polio or measles? Probably not, because it didn’t happen thanks to wonderful work by our scientists.
Just because a loud person yells at you through the television, doesn’t mean they are right.
I urge you to make the decision for yourself, but I greatly implore you to get the vaccine.
Here’s one more great reason to be vaccinated:
It’s free, provided to you by the federal government.
Let’s recap, the vaccine is safe, will protect you against a dangerous disease and is free.
Why wouldn’t you get the shot?
