Wanda M. Argersinger
Added 11/28/08
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| Flu Shot - A Real Crap Shoot |
It’s time for the annual flu shot and I am sitting in my doctor’s office waiting for my turn to be shot. This should not
be a big deal, but there is more involved in accomplishing this than simply going to the doctor and getting the injection.
Getting the flu shot to avoid getting the flu is a crap shoot. Come to think of it, avoiding the flu, with or without a flu
shot is crap shoot. I never realized until today just what a crap shoot this entire process is.
The flu itself mutates every year. This year it may be Asian Strain B that strikes us and makes us sick. Or it could be a
repeat of last year’s Mongolian Strain C-B+4 that rears its ugly tentacles to strike us down. The makers of the flu
vaccine use all of their combined, shared knowledge to make their best uneducated guess as to what particular strain of
flue will be on the hit parade this year so they can manufacture the appropriate anti-flu serum so we can get the flu shot
and hopefully avoid getting the flu. So far the process is iffy at best.
In addition to rolling the dice in predicting which strain of flu will surface this year, the manufactures have to decide
how much of the vaccine they will made. Over guess and make too much and too many people could be protected, or
worse, they might have left over flu vaccine and lose $100 or so. If they guess on the low side, throngs of worried
people could go unprotected, long lines could ensue and they could make millions on the unprotected masses.
Once the vaccine has been manufactured in whatever quantity, the vaccine is shipped to the various places to be
administered. People can then go to their local, doctor’s office, pharmacy, grocery store, health clinic, automotive super
store, mega-selling giant, or local burger joint, to stand in line in hopes of getting vaccinated against this year’s flu.
The story doesn’t end here. A couple years ago my assistant told me that she had taken her daughters in August to get
their flu shot. That was the same year I had learned that the flu vaccine is only good inside the body for a limited time.
Unlike the vaccinations we get in childhood that are good for life or 18 years, the flu vaccine has an in-body expiration
date of 3 months, 4 at best. Given this little piece of information, we, the consumers of the flu vaccine, have to play the
game of roulette to determine when the flu is most active in whatever area of the country we live so we can time our flu
vaccination so it will still be working during the time we are most likely exposed to this year’s strain of flu. I’ve been told
that in the South, where I live, peak flu season is in the early part of next year. So, by my timing, this translates to the
vaccine being effective just 2 weeks short of peak flu season in my area.
If all of this isn’t enough to let you see through the flu vaccine crap shoot, take the year 2005 as an example of the final
injustice. For some reason, in 2005, the flu vaccine was in short supply. To get the vaccine you had to be over 65, under
5, or have some proveable chronic medical condition, or be a really good liar. Much of the time you had to add your
name to a waiting list and hope that those whose names are on the list before you, find the vaccine elsewhere. You spend
each day awaiting the call. If that didn’t work you could try to wrangle the vaccine out of some practitioner other than
your own physician you may have to get permission from your physician before the one holding the vaccine hostage will
take a risk on you.
By the time all the calculating is done it may be easier to give up on the vaccine and just take your chances with the flu
itself. Who knows, you may be one of the lucky few who avoid the entire mess and come through the flu season with
your health and wits intact, ready to face the summer before being thrown into the flu vaccine crap shoot once again.
By the way, my wait wasn’t too long. I did get the shot once I confessed that I was not allergic to eggs or thimerisal,
whatever that is. I also had to agree to wait around for at least 10 minutes, less the vaccine kill me in an allergic reaction.
Now I can only hope the flu strikes this area in less than 4 months time.
Wanda M. Argersinger
2008
All Rights Reserved
www.wandaargersinger.com
be a big deal, but there is more involved in accomplishing this than simply going to the doctor and getting the injection.
Getting the flu shot to avoid getting the flu is a crap shoot. Come to think of it, avoiding the flu, with or without a flu
shot is crap shoot. I never realized until today just what a crap shoot this entire process is.
The flu itself mutates every year. This year it may be Asian Strain B that strikes us and makes us sick. Or it could be a
repeat of last year’s Mongolian Strain C-B+4 that rears its ugly tentacles to strike us down. The makers of the flu
vaccine use all of their combined, shared knowledge to make their best uneducated guess as to what particular strain of
flue will be on the hit parade this year so they can manufacture the appropriate anti-flu serum so we can get the flu shot
and hopefully avoid getting the flu. So far the process is iffy at best.
In addition to rolling the dice in predicting which strain of flu will surface this year, the manufactures have to decide
how much of the vaccine they will made. Over guess and make too much and too many people could be protected, or
worse, they might have left over flu vaccine and lose $100 or so. If they guess on the low side, throngs of worried
people could go unprotected, long lines could ensue and they could make millions on the unprotected masses.
Once the vaccine has been manufactured in whatever quantity, the vaccine is shipped to the various places to be
administered. People can then go to their local, doctor’s office, pharmacy, grocery store, health clinic, automotive super
store, mega-selling giant, or local burger joint, to stand in line in hopes of getting vaccinated against this year’s flu.
The story doesn’t end here. A couple years ago my assistant told me that she had taken her daughters in August to get
their flu shot. That was the same year I had learned that the flu vaccine is only good inside the body for a limited time.
Unlike the vaccinations we get in childhood that are good for life or 18 years, the flu vaccine has an in-body expiration
date of 3 months, 4 at best. Given this little piece of information, we, the consumers of the flu vaccine, have to play the
game of roulette to determine when the flu is most active in whatever area of the country we live so we can time our flu
vaccination so it will still be working during the time we are most likely exposed to this year’s strain of flu. I’ve been told
that in the South, where I live, peak flu season is in the early part of next year. So, by my timing, this translates to the
vaccine being effective just 2 weeks short of peak flu season in my area.
If all of this isn’t enough to let you see through the flu vaccine crap shoot, take the year 2005 as an example of the final
injustice. For some reason, in 2005, the flu vaccine was in short supply. To get the vaccine you had to be over 65, under
5, or have some proveable chronic medical condition, or be a really good liar. Much of the time you had to add your
name to a waiting list and hope that those whose names are on the list before you, find the vaccine elsewhere. You spend
each day awaiting the call. If that didn’t work you could try to wrangle the vaccine out of some practitioner other than
your own physician you may have to get permission from your physician before the one holding the vaccine hostage will
take a risk on you.
By the time all the calculating is done it may be easier to give up on the vaccine and just take your chances with the flu
itself. Who knows, you may be one of the lucky few who avoid the entire mess and come through the flu season with
your health and wits intact, ready to face the summer before being thrown into the flu vaccine crap shoot once again.
By the way, my wait wasn’t too long. I did get the shot once I confessed that I was not allergic to eggs or thimerisal,
whatever that is. I also had to agree to wait around for at least 10 minutes, less the vaccine kill me in an allergic reaction.
Now I can only hope the flu strikes this area in less than 4 months time.
Wanda M. Argersinger
2008
All Rights Reserved
www.wandaargersinger.com
wanda@wandaargersinger.com P.O. Box 18373 Pensacola FL 32523
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Also, go to the contact page and e-mail me. I will add your
address to my e-mail list and you will be notified when I
post anything new.
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