Flu or influenza is a viral disease which can easily turn into an epidemic as it is easily spread through direct or indirect contact. To control the epidemic situation and to protect people from contacting influenza, vaccines have been developed which can be taken as a nasal spray or in the form of injection which is called the flu shot.
The disease control center mostly advises people that they should take the flu shot so that they can be saved from being infected by influenza. But there are many types of controversies that relate to the safety of the flu shot or flu vaccine.
The main controversy is about the use of thimerosal by the manufacturers of the vaccines as this preservative is prepared from mercury which has been banned for nearly twenty years as it has been found that this mercury-based product is harmful to our health. It has been discovered by doctors that the use of this preservative in vaccines can lead to autism. So many states have passed orders that have totally restricted the use of thimerosal in vaccines especially in those vaccines which are used for pregnant women and children.
Flu Shot Facts
Flu shots are made every year which is different from the previous one by scientists so that the viruses cannot give up the immunity and it is also a fact that the strains of the viruses keep on changing each year. The new flu shots that are prepared consist of the inactivated or dead flu viruses of the previous year. While preparing the vaccines the scientists take into consideration the viruses that are already in circulation and those viruses that are going to circulate in the following year.
The flu shot used as nasal spray is made of live but weakened viruses which can be easily used by healthy people who are in the age group of five years to forty nine years. The flu shot and the nasal spray can effectively prevent some strains of flu viruses but these vaccines are ineffective in the case of avian flu.
Though flu vaccines maybe ineffective if new strains of flu viruses develop and a person contacts flu it will still help as the vaccine will provide some protection from the adverse effects.