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Flu Season Struggles

Flu Season Struggles

By Brady Bullington

Coughing. Sneezing, Runny nose. Body aches. High fever. Those symptoms by themselves are bad enough. Now add a history test, a geometry quiz, a Big Question essay with a Works Cited page, and a Spanish CPA. Most high school students have been in a situation where their flu symptoms collided with their workload and that’s usually all it takes to get behind in school.

According to EveryDayHealth.com’s Flu Map for Loudoun County, the area is currently at a Moderate Risk for catching the flu. And as of March 3, 2017, the CDC reports that 145.9 million doses of the flu vaccine have been distributed nationwide. Every year, students and parents have to make the decision about whether or not to get a flu shot. The issue has definite pros and cons.

The CDC website states,“Recent studies show vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by about 50% to 60% among the overall population.” Flu season traditionally arises from October to May. Flu shots, after getting the vaccination, cause antibodies to grow inside of the body. The antibodies protect the body from the viruses of the flu that are in the vaccine. Some of the benefits that many people don’t know about include that one flu shot usually protects the recipient from three flu viruses.

According to Humana, getting the shot includes protection against the viruses for nearly a year. But some of the negatives can be side effects which may include vomiting, headaches, and nausea, or it could make current allergies worse. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Service explains, “Although there are possible side effects to vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration closely monitor the safety of seasonal flu vaccines.” The school

According to a survey of 25 Tuscarora students, 52% believe that flu shots are not effective while 48% think it is effective. Freshman student Lydia Seekford said, “I don’t believe the flu shots are effective because every year I got one, I’d have the flu that year.” Many students had the same reasoning and belief for their answer of ‘no’ when asked if they believe the vaccines are effective. On the other hand, almost half agreed that a flu shot is effective and helps them combat those terrible symptoms that make it difficult to keep up with academics during the winter months.

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