How to “Sell” the Flu Shot to Healthy Adults

January 11, 2011

When counseling patients about why they should receive the influenza vaccine, I remind them that each year the disease kills 250,000 to 500,000 persons worldwide and more than 37,000 persons in the United States. This means that influenza kills more people per year than auto accidents. I tell healthy, younger adults that even though influenza tends to be more lethal in young children and in persons who are elderly or immunocompromised, getting the flu can put them out of commission for 1 to 2 weeks. I also note that the vaccine can never cause influenza, since it contains only small pieces of the virus. After going over these quick facts, my success rate in convincing patients to receive the vaccine (as my nurse can attest!) is higher than 90%.

—Scott Graham, MD
St Petersburg, Fla

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by Terry Brenneman | January 27, 2011 2:49 PM EST

Even in the best of years, the flu vaccine is only 90% effective, so there always will be individuals getting the flu even after being vaccinated.
any vaccine can cause fever, meaning any vaccine can cause febrile seizures.(1 in 25-30 children have one before age 5.
In my 31 years as a pediatrician I have seen many more cases of febrile seizures in children with the flu than I have from vaccines.
The day I took the H1N1 vaccine I won $5 on a lottery card. Does that mean the vaccine did it. In blinded,controlled trials the same incidence of cold symptoms is seen after the placebo and the "real" shot.

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by Richard Lon | January 27, 2011 2:06 PM EST

It took over 25 years to come to the conclusion that if we give a flu vaccine we may see a decrease in INFLUENZA... either we are very slow or there is a reason it hasnt come about other than the timing of the last pandemic was right to try and convince people that it is worth investing in. A vaccine that may not cover the flu virus that actually hits in a given season because of Shift or drift. Why do I see influenza occuring in patients who had the flu vaccine? Be it whether it is nasal or injected vaccine? Another not so good vaccine. How about the 42 cases of febrile seizures in kids less than 2 years of age.

by Ashtonell Smith, NP | January 14, 2011 5:40 PM EST

I've taken the H1N1 Flu Inoculationanad resulted with the WORST Cold ssymptons,coughs and elevated blood pressure.

Sought help from Allergist-I am sensitive to components of the serum,although, I've trusted flu serums in the past.

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