Vaccine Myths Dispelled, Part #1: You can’t get the flu from the flu shot

By Matt Rooney
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Let’s call a spade a spade, Save Jerseyans: most objections to vaccines have absolutely nothing to do with “religion” (or at least any religion I’ve ever heard of) and everything to do with an endless parade of predatory misinformation peddled by the Alex Jones psychopaths and arrogant crunchy mamas of the world.

I’ve decided it’d be useful – particularly in light of this year’s particularly brutal flu season and everything else health-related in the news – to dispel common vaccine myths. Knowledge is power! And real conservatives’ first loyalty should always be to the facts. First up: Can the flu vaccine actually give you the flu?

Answer: No.

In fact, it’s actually impossible.

The most common form of flu vaccine is the flu shot; it contains either (1) inactive or “dead” viruses or (2) a piece (gene) from the influenza virus capable of triggering the appropriate, protective immune response.

A dead virus and a single portion of the virus have this in common: they can’t cause an infection. A dead shark can’t bite you. A gun without bullets can’t shoot you. Got it?

There are some reasons why you could still get the flu after receiving the flu shot. They include:

  1. You caught a strain of the flu which your shot didn’t cover (the flu mutates and changes annually which explains why it’s effectiveness rate is far lower than most vaccines).
  2. You caught the flu before the 2-week post-shot period required for your body to respond and develop an immunity
  3. You’re in a special category of folks (the very young, very old, or those with immune deficiency issues) who either can’t get the vaccine or for whom the vaccine is less effective than for the general population.
  4. Your illness looks like the flu (e.g. a stomach bug) but isn’t the flu.

Severe reactions are extremely rare: 1 case per every million doses. You have a far better chance of being killed by a car, shot in Chicago, or yes, felled by the flu than experiencing a life-threatening flu vaccine complication.

Civilization is playing an annual numbers game with Mother Nature. It’s estimated that there have already been at least 20,000 flu deaths in the U.S. this season. Influenza makes the hyped and politically-weaponized Coronavirus look like a minor amateur assassin by comparison.

Yes, this year’s vaccine appears to be “only” 45% effective based on an early estimate. We’ve all heard this excuse for skipping the shot. If you’re exposed to a strain accounted for in your shot? It’s 60% effective. So when you stop and consider that 30-50 million Americans will contract the flu at some point this season? 45%-60% effectiveness translates to a LOT of lives saved. Thousands of people wouldn’t survive the winter but for the flu shot.

Don’t be an idiot. Get the damn shot if you haven’t already. You’re helping yourself, your family, and those in our community who can’t get the shot but rely on herd immunity to keep them alive. 

Save Jersey’s Founder and Blogger-in-Chief, MATT ROONEY is a nationally-noted and respected New Jersey political commentator. When he’s not on-line, radio or television advocating for conservative reform and challenging N.J. power-brokers, Matt is a practicing attorney at the law firm of DeMichele & DeMichele in Haddon Heights (Camden County). 

Matt Rooney
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MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.