Flu Shots: Beyond the Banner Ads

Posted by: Lindsay

Today in the Red Eye I saw an ad that made me pause. Along the bottom of the page, a banner touts the flu shot by way of the tacit endorsement of the sports celebrity pictured in it. It is one ad in a larger, citywide campaign to get you to buy a flu shot because your favorite sports star says it’s a good idea. If you want to be awesome, like this soccer star, buy a flu shot!

If you can tell by my tone, I’m not a fan of this campaign. Using celebrity to promote products or services is nothing new, but a tactic doesn’t have to be new to still be irresponsible. And it’s irresponsible to push the flu vaccine in this manner.

Before we get into a huge fight, let me say this: I’m not here to denounce vaccines. Vaccines can be and have been effective at reducing or eliminating countless once-lethal diseases. I’ve never had polio or the measles and neither have most of my family and friends and coworkers. That’s simply amazing.

What I am here to do is advocate informed consent. A flu shot might work for you and it might not and knowing the difference can be key! There’s no fine print on the ads that tell you that the effectiveness of the flu shot can vary between 30% and 90% depending on how old you are, how healthy you are, and how accurate the CDC is. The vaccine’s effectiveness varies depending on whether or not the CDC has guessed correctly which strains of the flu are going to be most prevalent this year. And the debate about the vaccine's effectiveness continues among the medical and scientific community. (The New York Times alone has posted articles both for and against promoting the vaccine.)

This issue is obviously complex just in terms of science, never mind that the debate involves public health and millions of dollars. It wouldn't be unreasonable to take a step back, learn about both sides, and then make a decision from there.

What I'm also here to do is promote additional and alternative methods of strengthening your immune system. Wouldn’t it be great if you could prevent the flu without having to receive injections of it? Here are some ideas you might have heard before:

1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

2. Reduce your stress levels.

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Get regular chiropractic adjustments.

Yes, those recommendations are repeated to the point of inanity. But sometimes the cliches bear repeating.

I’m not a fan of that ad campaign. I am a devoted fan of educating yourself and choosing for yourself.

Check out Dr. Ken’s and Dr. Dan’s take on the flu shot. And visit the National Vaccine Information Center, an informative resource for all-things-vaccine, for an unbiased fact sheet on the flu shot and its risks.