Critical Analysis: Inefficiencies of Flu Shot Vaccine - Essay

This essay presents a critical analysis of the flu shot vaccine, arguing against its widespread use. It begins by defining the flu shot vaccine and its purpose, then highlights criticisms from healthcare professionals, researchers, and the public. The essay discusses the conditional benefits of the vaccine ...Read More

Running head: FLU SHOT VACCINE
FLU SHOT VACCINE
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1FLU SHOT VACCINE
Flu shot vaccine is also called “influenza vaccines” that protects humans against infection
by influenza viruses. The flu shot vaccine is generally modified and matures two times in a year
as the virus which is responsible for flu (influenza) speedily modifies and modifies itself.
Vaccines have always played an important role in the arena of public health and welfare of the
people. Vaccines have always saved the human population from spreading of deadly, dangerous
and contagious diseases such as chicken pox, smallpox polio and measles. The respective paper
is a paper arguing against the popular flu vaccination which is known as flu shot vaccine. Here, I
have argued about the disadvantages and issues that most of the people face while using flu shot
vaccination for medical purposes.
Flu shot vaccine has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for
all the people and especially, expecting mothers, senior citizens, children up to five years of age,
diagnosed patients and healthcare practitioners. The flu shot vaccine is generally safe but
feverish episodes occur to five to ten per cent of the children who are vaccinated by the flu shot.
The flu shot vaccine sometimes causes temporary muscle pain or feeling of tiredness among the
people who have been injected by it. Flu shot vaccine has faced certain criticism among the
healthcare practitioners, doctors, scientists, patients, public and researchers (Freimuth et al.,
2017). Tom Jefferson is a British epidemiologist who is based in Rome, Italy. Jefferson has
declared that flu vaccines are actually useless and futile as well as inactive. By collaborating with
Cochrane, an international charitable organization based in London which is aimed at organizing
medical research findings, Jefferson has reviewed about flu vaccine and according to him, and
flu shot is unethical. As far as his views go, the different medical organizations such as National
Institutes of Health (the USA) rejected influenza vaccines such as flu shot. Certain medical

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practitioners have also criticized flu vaccines by saying that influenza doesn’t need vaccines and
those flu vaccines are overhyped and over-promoted (Time.com., 2010).
The effectiveness and work of the flu vaccines differ from season to season and person to
person. The effectiveness of vaccination of flu shot is highly dependent upon the kind of person
who is getting vaccinated, whether it is a pregnant mother, an adolescent or an elderly.
Therefore, it can be said that flu shot vaccine is relative and is not absolute for everybody.
Hence, there is a doubt regarding the authenticity and credibility of flu shot and its effectiveness
(WON’T WORK). Benefits of flu vaccinations vary according to the conditions given to it. So, it
has been determined that flu vaccine is conditional and not absolute or universal. It is also a fact
that determining the effectiveness of flu shot vaccine is challenging for the medical practitioners
and researchers. It has been found out by carrying out solemn research that flu shot vaccine do
not protect people against infection and illness caused by other viruses that can result in illnesses
that have similar symptoms like flu that spread during the season of flu. Thereby, flu shot
vaccine has been seen to be ineffective in certain areas. Medical practitioners have researched
and identified that there are many different kinds of viruses besides the flu viruses that can result
in “flu- like” illness, which is also known as Influenza Like Illness or ILI n medical terms. These
viruses that are non- flu but have symptoms similar to flu are rhinoviruses that cause common
cold and severe respiratory illness among young children and adolescents. The flu shot vaccines
are not able to identify such viruses or build any immune system that can fight against such
viruses (Gale & Null).
Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that despite of the increased awareness of flu and
implementation of vaccination against it, yet flu shot is highly ineffective when it comes to real
vaccination results. There are plethora of reasons why the effectiveness of flu vaccines might be

3FLU SHOT VACCINE
lower than expected and they are provided hereafter. Firstly, the time that is taken when the
composition of flu vaccine is recommended and the flu vaccine is delivered, the influenza
viruses have already changed its way which could have impacted the effectiveness and
workability of the flu shot vaccine. This literally means that flu viruses change their composition
and therefore, flu shot vaccines are always not competent to trace such issues and tackle them
(Dailymail.co.uk., 2019). Secondly, most of the flu vaccines are made out of eggs. The “egg
adapted changes” that are present in vaccine viruses recommended for the use in vaccine
production might reduce their potential effectiveness against circulating influenza viruses. To be
more precise, the way by which flu shot vaccine is made (by utilizing eggs) makes the
immunization virus less effective. Scientists and doctors have recommended other vaccine
producing technologies, such as, cell- based vaccine production and recombinant flu vaccines to
meet the respective shortcomings. Thirdly, it has been proved that the effectiveness of flu shot
vaccine among the elderly is less consistent. When the vaccine components are less competitive
compared to the virus component that spreads in the community, chances of the elderly people
getting affected by flu and getting hospitalized increases up to a certain extent, which is a matter
of concern. Fourth, the most common yet ignored issue of flu shot vaccine is that is has a huge
cost. Healthcare is a system that should be made free for every individual. When health care
becomes unaffordable, miseries in the society arise. A flu vaccine that is not affordable by the
citizens of the countries is wastage of medical resources. Flu vaccine cost should be reduced so
that people from every strata of the society can utilize it and avail its benefit.
The respective paper concludes to be a paper arguing against the popular flu vaccination
which is known as flu shot vaccine. Here, I have argued about the disadvantages and issues that
most of the people face while using flu shot vaccination for medical purposes. The paper has

4FLU SHOT VACCINE
been concluded with proper explanation of medical and social reasons why flu shot vaccine is
inefficient.

5FLU SHOT VACCINE
References:
Dailymail.co.uk.,(2019). Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7520845/This-
years-flu-shot-likely-ineffective-UK-Canada-expert-warns.html
Freimuth, V. S., Jamison, A. M., An, J., Hancock, G. R., & Quinn, S. C. (2017). Determinants of
trust in the flu vaccine for African Americans and Whites. Social Science & Medicine,
193, 70-79.
Gale, R., & Null, G. The Toxic Science of Flu Vaccines.
Time.com.,(2010). Available at:
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1967306,00.html
WON’T WORK, W. M. Why Influenza Vaccine Mandates are Ineffective & Unwise Public
Policy.