The flu shot 'offers the best protection:' some disagree

Public Health Ontario predicts the peak of Canada’s flu season to be between November and January. As the flu season approaches, some question the effectiveness of the flu shot

Latex gloves, the smell of medicine, linoleum floors, helping patients and syringes are all second nature for Richa Jaswal, a nursing student at York University. As a third-year student, her days are spent in clinical placements preparing for her job as a nurse.

Like all health-care workers and students in health-related fields she is required to get the flu shot every year. Any who choose not to get the vaccine are mandated to wear a molded, surgical mask for the entire flu season. If there is an influenza outbreak, students who have not been immunized against the flu can be forced off their placement.

Jaswal got the flu shot as required by her placement. She said it “offers the best protection” especially since “we are working with patients everyday and we do not want to risk their safety.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that this year would see a higher risk for a more widespread and dangerous flu season. In the past few months, Australia was hit by a flu strain called H3N2 that is notorious for causing severe illness especially in seniors. Already in the U.S., small clusters of the H3N2 flu are surfacing.

As always, at this time of year doctors urge the public to get the flu shot. While many do get it, many are reluctant.

Jaswal and Daniella Mione, a second-year nursing student at Laurentian University, are familiar with the questions of, should I? Or should I not get the flu shot debate.

Mione, who has a “fear of needles” chose to refrain from getting the shot and so she took up to wearing the mask because, “if I can avoid it, I don’t want it.”

The potential risk of losing her placement—which is a requirement to graduate—does not faze Mione when it comes to the flu shot. “When you get the flu shot, you’re also exposing yourself to what is in the flu shot,” said Mione.

She said her safety is not at risk because she would rather protect herself from the ingredients contained in the shot such as mercury and formaldehyde than to inject her body with something “unnatural.”

Jaswal wonders why other nurses would avoid getting the flu shot. “As nurses, we are healthy people but most of us still get the shot because we could be in contact with patients who have the flu…it’s just for our safety and it’s extra protection. Why wouldn’t you want to get it? It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Jaswal said that it is important to maintain good health; however, “the flu shot is an extra preventative measure that you can take aside from being healthy…it also contains antibodies that help make your immune system strong. If you do contract the flu, the vaccination will help your body fight against it.”

Mione is aware that the flu shot contains antibodies but said, “I don’t agree with the idea of getting antibodies injected by the flu shot because it’s not natural. Your body isn’t developing them—when your body is able to naturally develop antibodies itself.”

Certified holistic nutritionist Joy McCarthy, a well-known name on CBC day-time television, said that the best way to avoid the flu is to strengthen your immune system naturally.

She said, “vitamin D is the single most effective vitamin for preventing the flu and shortening the duration and severity of the flu.”

Mione agreed that a lack of vitamin D is why “a lot of people get sick in the winter.”

McCarthy added, “The science behind the flu shot is greatly flawed. Evidence shows the effectiveness is relatively low…Scientists have to guess what strain will dominate the flu season, sometimes they nail it, more often they don’t.”

The flu shot is developed over a few month period and McCarthy said that the short amount of time that is given to develop the shot is part of the reason why it poses an issue.

“Prescription drugs go through years, sometimes decades, of testing and clinical research before being released to the public…Researchers simply do not have time to test the safety or the effectiveness of the flu shot because it’s being developed months (not years) before being released to the public,” said McCarthy.

According to a study by Dr. Danuta Skowronski from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, evidence suggests that getting the flu shot consecutively over the years increases the chance of contracting the flu the following year.

In August 2017, Public Health Ontario’s website said that the “effectiveness of influenza vaccines does not decrease with getting the vaccination two years in a row.” However, it also said that “additional research is needed to look at the impact of receiving influenza vaccines repeatedly over many years.”

Dr. Munaza Jamil, a clinical manager at North York General Hospital said that the argument for or against flu shots “can go either way.”

“I did not get the flu shot for many years,” said Dr. Jamil but she believes that the need is greater for people working in the public sector.

“I think you have more of a responsibility because there is more opportunity and probability [of contracting and spreading the virus],” said Dr. Jamil.

Since viruses spread easily through ordinary surfaces, she recommends that people should also be mindful of things they contact physically in public spaces such as: telephones, television remotes, hands and doorknobs.

“I would say the most important thing is to educate yourself…educate yourself in terms of how to prevent it, educate yourself in terms of what it is. Once you are educated, then make your choice,” said Dr. Jamil.