By Eliza Althisar
The flu outbreak this year has taken more lives than we anticipated. From Oct 1, 2017 to Feb 26, 2018 200 people have died. The question that comes up often when talking about the flu is whether or not a person should receive a flu shot.
Given the unusually high death rate, the decision to get the shot – or not – has never been more significant.
Although many people do get the vaccine, some believe it does more harm than good.
Junior Claire Sterling believes that there are so many different types of the flu that the shot cannot target all the viruses at once, but only targets a single virus, so how effective can the vaccine be?
“I don’t know,” said Sterling. “There are so many strands of the flu and the shot only prevents one specifically. I personally never get it.”
Many people go their whole life without ever getting the flu vaccination and never get the flu. Senior Mia Andresen is one of them.
“I have never had the flu shot, and I have never had the flu.” said Andresen. “I feel like the flu shot doesn’t work because I know people who have gotten it and still end up getting the flu.”
Others at Riverside, like Luka Ashe-Jones, believe the risks associated with not getting the flu shot outweigh the risks of getting it.
“I always get the flu shot,” said Ashe-Jones. “I think it’s important to get it so you can be protected from the flu. People die from it and I don’t want to get hurt.”
The popular opinion of the school is that the flu vaccine isn’t vital to their health. The choice of whether or not to get the vaccine belongs to you as an individual and whether you believe it works for you or not. This year especially, the choice seems to be a life and death decision.
