Are My Concerns About Taking H1N1 Vaccine Real?

Vaccines work by introducing a weaker strain or dead version of the live disease agent which is introduced into the human body. Because it is a weaker strain, often a person's immune system can develop the antibodies that seek out and destroy the disease agent because the body's immune memory has learned how to destroy it. Because the antibodies are trained to handle the disease, when the person is confronted with the real disease, the person is able to handle it without many side effects with the result that they are less likely to die.

Doctor's advise people to avoid taking a vaccine if they are sensitive to any of the ingredients used in making the vaccine. Doctor's also advise people with health risks that they should avoid taking the vaccine. I have experienced the side effect of increased allergies following a vaccine inoculation. That sensitivity to allergies usually diminishes. So I always ask myself, do I want to take the chance of dying or get a vaccine?

My own concern is that all the publicity about the potential risks will convince those that will benefit from the vaccine and maybe save their life to avoid taking it with the result that needless deaths will occur. Swine flu is said to be one of the diseases in which the young and healthy are most prone to dying from the disease because their immune system response to the disease is so strong, that often their death is caused by their body's attempts to fight off the disease rather than the disease itself. The young and healthy population is also the age group that is more likely to go to work, play, or travel while ill and spread the disease.

Issues of more global concern include the fact that if too many people avoid taking the vaccine, the health systems could become overwhelmed and unable to respond. People with other health problems will have increased risk of death because the doctors and hospitals were dealing with a problem that didn't have to occur, if only people considered taking the vaccine. The most likely response by health officials to a full scale epidemic is to institute quarantines which curtails personal liberties.