The Flu Isn't What You Think It Is 

& Why You Should Get Your Vaccines Every Year

Image above is from:www.bcm.edu

            Something smaller than you can see has taken over a hundred million lives. It is an invisible killer. The flu is an amazing shapeshifter and has been here for generations and generations. Why get a vaccine? What is in a vaccine? What is the flu? Recent times has people scared to get vaccines but this article will set the record straight. 

            So what is the flu? Influenza, or "the flu," is a virus, meaning that is is a non-living vessel that has the genetic material inside its capsid or "shell" to replicate. The flu cannot replicate on its own and requires the host to replicate. The Flu is a respiratory infection that can spread from person to person via coughs or sneezes or even infected surfaces. 

        The flus that infect people are influenza type A and B. They are composed of eight segmented strands of RNA. These segments contain the instructions for making new viruses and are crucial for how they cause infection. In the picture above you can see these surface proteins labeled HA (hemagglutinin) and NA (neuraminidase). These spikes are what interact with your cells and are the main targets for fighting the virus.

           Influenza is always changing due to antigenic drift and shift. Drift is when small mutations happen in the virus's RNA over time. These alter the structure of the surface proteins mentioned above (HA and NA) slightly. These slight variations can drastically alter your bodies immune system to effectively fight the virus. Shift is when a major change happens. The segments of RNA swap genetic material and can create new types of viruses that our bodies have not seen before. This can lead to pandemics and fast spread of the flu. 

Image from: www.monash.edu

            Why get the vaccine each year? The flu strains are constantly circulating and changing year to year. Scientists and professionals monitor the changes happening in the flu and can track the individual RNA sequence changes in the virus. This is important because scientists are able to match the vaccine to what is going to be or most likely to be the strain that is most likely to infect people. Last year's immunity may not fully protect you for the next year, because the flu this season may be different from last year. Getting the current vaccine is important because they match it to what is going to infect you that year. It is designed for the incoming flu season, not for any other year but the current one based on the data they collect. 

            What is in the vaccine? While the flu vaccine does contain the virus, it contains an inactive or dead virus, so it's unlikely to make you sick. Other ingredients are present in vaccines. For example, formaldehyde is included to inactivate the viruses and bacteria that could contaminate the vaccine during production. While formaldehyde is toxic at high doses, the amounts in vaccines are harmless. Formaldehyde is also a product of digestive function. In some multi-dose vaccines, there is also thimerosal, used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that could contaminate the vaccine. The vaccine also contains stabilizers like sugars or salts to help maintain the effectiveness during transport and storage, as well as preservatives to keep the vaccine safe and viable. Vaccines are always tested and are safe for the general population to consume. Medical professionals would not give the vaccine if it was not safe.

            Vaccines are safe! Not only are they safe, but they decrease your risk of getting sick and build your immunity while lowering the symptoms if you do get infected. The more people that take the vaccine, the more people are safe. Getting your vaccine should be a part of your general health routine, because they create a safer space for you and the people around you. Something that you can't see has shaped parts of human history, caused pandemics, and has evolved over time, year after year. The flu is not just a simple cold. It is a virus that adapts to survive, but science adapts too. Through research, monitoring, and vaccination, we have tools to reduce its impact and help humanity. 

Articles Used:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/php/viruses/genetic-characterization.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/php/viruses/change.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/php/viruses/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/php/viruses/change.html

https://www.lung.org/blog/reasons-flu-shots

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321207#ingredients