Flu Deaths Among Young, Healthy and Unvaccinated
Oct 29, 2013

We know and love plenty of people whose health is fragile, such as newborn babies, pregnant women and those undergoing cancer treatment.  Last year my daughter’s 13-year-old friend, and trick-or-treat companion, was undergoing cancer treatment.  This year my father in law is battling cancer.  And we’ll be seeing several family members who are either pregnant or have young children over the upcoming holidays.  Then there’s my 90-year-old aunt.  She may not have any underlying health conditions, but a bout of the flu could certainly land her in the hospital.  By getting ourselves vaccinated we are also helping to protect other vulnerable members of our communities from falling ill with the flu. 
We’ve also witnessed the severity and unpredictability of the flu over the years.  My husband’s co-worker, a healthy young man in his early 30’s, succumbed to the flu years ago.  My own daughter was a victim of H1N1 during that pandemic year.  My best friend’s son was hospitalized two times with influenza.  And how could I forget the personal stories from Families Fighting Flu and Shot by Shot of children lost to influenza.  As parents, we vaccinate our children to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to protect them from a dangerous illness that could possibly result in death.
If you haven’t had your family vaccinated this year, there’s still time.  Simply use this flu vaccine finder to help locate a vaccine center near you.  http://flushot.healthmap.org
And if you’re already preparing to explain why you won’t get yourself or your family vaccinated, than I have just one request.  Check out Tara Haelle’s grand effort to “set the record straight” with her thorough take down of almost every flu vaccine myth ever heard.  As a science writer, Tara’s colossal post lists 25 flu vaccine myths and then literally attacks each of them in detail.  With a grand total of 109 links, more than half of which link directly to peer-reviewed studies in medical research, your bound to find the scientific response to anything you’ve ever wanted to know about influenza vaccine.
To find out more about why flu vaccination matters, listen to a few personal stories compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OABPnO5F7fk#t=142]