Contamination causes shortage

Contamination at the Chiron Corporation in Liverpool, England has caused doses of the flu vaccine to be tainted, causing shortages in the U.S. The only thing we seem to be doing about it is arguing. Instead of taking immediate steps to locate other vaccine sources, the U.S. and Britain are in a dispute over whether or not the U.S. knew about the shortage earlier.

According to British officials, there has been regular communication with American public health officials since Aug. 26, when Chiron announced that it would not be releasing supplies of the vaccine due to contamination. According to FDA spokesman Jason Brodsky, none of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research staff had been informed.

Whether or not the U.S. knew about the shortage is a small problem compared with the shortage itself. The U.S. now has only half of the necessary supply for this year, and since we might not be able to obtain the rest of the needed supply, American doctors are urged to give the vaccine only to those at the highest risk. Doctors are now faced with the responsibility of deciding exactly who is at the highest risk.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) listed those who should be vaccinated, including people 65 and older, children ages 6 to 23 months, pregnant women and healthcare workers. Healthy people ages 2 to 64 are asked to not get vaccinated this year or to wait until people in priority groups in their area have had their chance to get vaccinated.

In my opinion, there is no reason for healthy people to ever get vaccinated. Each year's flu vaccine contains three strains selected by the U.S. Public Health Service which are believed to be most likely to spread in the upcoming flu season. When compared to the actual number of strains of influenza, it makes you wonder if the vaccine is really worth it. It has been estimated that flu shots are only about 70 percent effective in preventing the flu. Another reason to reconsider getting the flu vaccine is that immunizations in general could possibly result in an overall gradual erosion of the immune system. There are some vaccines that are considered essential, such as polio and tetanus, but they have also been around for a long time. The flu has not been in use for very long, and there could be problems that we are not yet aware of.

There are much easier steps to prevent the flu that everyone should be following, such as avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze and washing your hands frequently. If you do get the flu, stay home from work and school, not only to rest and get well but as a common courtesy to others.

Overall, the decision to get the flu vaccine is more important this year because it depends not only on our own health, but on the health of others who may need it more.

Elizabeth Jackson is a first year broadcast journalism major at CSULB.