The flu vaccine cannot be made perfect with the possibility of so many strains that can go with every season. The fact that the public is angered with anything less than a 100% all-encompassing flu virus protection medicine only goes to show that people are really hoping and nearly demanding for a full proof virus vaccine.
It’s very hard for people to declare their statements logically in unison. More often than not public voice is merely that of a child’s where crying and shouting could be mistaken for anger but really, it’s a sign of their dependence and of wanting to be taken care of. All the ranting only goes to show that the majority is taking the flu virus seriously and is demanding for better protection coverage.
Change in Campaign Strategies
Given this information about the public’s view on flu and their demands for protection against it, it might be a cue for the government, private vaccine companies and pharmacies to shift their campaign focus from the “scare” mode to a more informative style containing current developments and improvements on the vaccines that are available in the market, “benefit mode”.
Too much scaring and conscience breaking propaganda might appear to some as more of a challenge than a friendly invitation. This scenario will create the opposite of what is intended. Instead of people being sold to the idea of preventive flu medication, they might ignore that benefit altogether and prove that they can withstand the flu season without it. People might start reading that “scare” message into an implied “dare”.
Now that everybody is concerned, let’s talk about the measures being taken to ensure maximum flu protection and how people should see these developments.
Best Judgment
In defense of the flu vaccine manufacturers, there is still a lot of merit in pursuing this imperfect flu protection.
Every year, doctors and scientist try to predict which strains will be most likely to appear for the year’s season. As far as the limitation of science is concerned, the current season’s flu strain menu can only be anticipated based on trends and history.
We cannot expect science to anticipate a new strain that will develop. The only thing that science can do is discover it a quickly as possible to be able to formulate the corresponding vaccine.
Provided that all the previous strains are covered, we only have the new ones to worry about. The 2014 vaccine had a 90% effectivity rating, 10% accounting for the new strain that developed and was unanticipated.
90% Success Rate
90 percent protection is a whole lot to be thankful for. Realistically, expecting more would be asking too much from the flu vaccine industry.
Perhaps, the history of successes in the flu vaccine industry has created the monster that will be used as its yardstick. Where a 90% success rate is possible 89% simply won’t do.
If there is such a medicine for cancer that has a 50% success rate, cancer patients all over the world will be lining up for it and will want to shake the hand of its creator.
The flu vaccine industry will never have this privilege. The satisfied customers will be silent. The unsatisfied will be charging the streets with a megaphone and placard.
Better Than Nothing
If you think about it, it should still be a case of “Better than Nothing”. Always remember that we are not only dealing with the same flu virus over and over again. You might say that the vaccine industry is dealing with the ever changing times and environment.
Instead of looking at the uncovered portion of the different virus strains, we should look at the swift response and handling of the new ones that come yearly. Consider this, in less than a year’s time; vaccine companies can already release new flu vaccine formulations for the latest flu strains. What other field of preventive medicine can do that?
Value of the Flu Shots
Even with its imperfect coverage protection, flu shots are sold at a humble price in reputable pharmacies such as CVS. Almost 80% of big corporations are already administering them for free. Flu shots also come free with your Medicare and Medicaid.
In case you’ve paid for the flu shot from your own wallet, it would only cost about $24 for a whole year’s protection. What’s $2 a month worth of protection?
We can compare flu shots to a security agency that can protect your business from armed groups but cannot endure a full terrorist attack.
We can compare flu shots to a building maintenance agency which can ensure your building’s stability against storms and typhoons but not a full intensity 10 earthquake.
Whatever the success ratio may be, Flu shots will always be valuable to our lives for any amount of protection it can provide against the seasonal flu virus. Unless science can provide a more encompassing medical product for the prevention of flu, it is not only advisable or recommended but demanded of everyone to protect themselves from the risk of flu contamination and of contaminating others through the injection of the flu vaccine.
