Advice on Flu Vaccination from NHS Direct site

[Skeptic Ginger]

I agree that conversations such as these are good for reminding everyone of their options. However, having weighed up all the evidence, I have decided not to have the vaccine, not being in the at risk category.

This is a common myth. Influenza kills a number of people every year who are not in any risk category. IE, anyone, no matter how healthy, has a greater risk of dying from influenza than suffering a serious negative outcome from the vaccine.

That is not to say we don't take risks everyday. Of course we do. Just because it is safer to stay home than drive/ride in a vehicle doesn't mean I am going to choose to stay home. The trade off of going somewhere outweighs the risk.

The only trade off for getting the flu vaccine is cost in time and money, and, for some people, fear of injections. If you are going to choose not to be vaccinated, it should be because you don't think the risk of dying from influenza is high enough to warrant you getting off your bum and getting the shot. That may indeed be the case. We make those decisions all the time. But don't make the decision based on the false information that because you don't fall into one of the designated risk categories that you have no risk from influenza.

Did I link to this article yet?

Severe Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Community-Acquired Pneumonia Associated with Influenza --- Louisiana and Georgia, December 2006--January 2007

During the 2003--04 influenza season, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) gained attention as a cause of 15 cases of influenza-associated CAP† (1). No formal surveillance has been conducted, and few additional cases of MRSA CAP were reported to CDC during the 2004--05 and 2005--06 influenza seasons. However, in January 2007, CDC received reports of 10 cases of severe MRSA CAP, including six deaths, among previously healthy children and adults in Louisiana and Georgia during December 2006--January 2007. These were the first reported cases of severe MRSA CAP during the 2006--07 influenza season in the two states, and 10 was a higher number than expected for the 2-month period.