This flu shot crap is the biggest non-issue EVER

Seriously, can someone please explain to me why this crap is front and center of every newspaper, news website and news show day in day out? Who honestly gives a crap?

I've never had a flu shot and I don't know anyone who has ever had a flu shot. And both I and other people I know have had true influenza at least once - and we didn't die!!!!! I know, it's a big freakin shock. I stayed home from school for 3 days...felt like crap for about a week...and it was over. Gee, that was 4 years ago and remarkably I've made a full recovery with no lingering effects.

Here in Pittsburgh I was watching the early morning news (I'm having a severe bout of insomnia) and there were actually morons lined up down at Heinz Field at 6 friggin AM in blustery, 45 degree, rainy weather to camp out and wait for a flu shot (which weren't administered until 9 AM). Who freaking does that? I can understand if you have AIDS or you're elderly or otherwise have some abnormal condition which makes you more susceptible...but they literally had a small army down there waiting for flu shots. At 6 AM in bad weather! I question these people's sanity.

This flu shot crap is turning us into a nation of pansies (both literally and figuratively). In a literal sense, these friggin vaccines against benign viruses like the flu actually raise our susceptibility to more serious diseases. Stuff like the flu STRENGTHENS your immune system.

And in the figurative (although I question my use of the word figurative) - we are becoming a nation of pussies! Are these people really this terrified of coming down with the sniffles for a few days? What's next, the cold vaccine? This is ridiculous. I wish some of these sheltered pansies could revisit the early 1900s when there were REAL disease threats. It symbolizes the embarrassing state of the American populace when a shortage of flu virus is being treated like imminent nuclear holocaust was during the height of the Cold War. You know what, I'm only 20 years old and it can't have been more than 5 years ago that we didn't even have this goddamned vaccine. What the hell did people do? How did we survive?

My grandfathers both fought bravely in World War II and I can tell my grandchildren that I survived the horrible flu vaccine shortage of 2004. Whoo-friggin-hoo

While I agree its probably being blown out of proprotion, I can unerstand where people would rather get the shot than come down with the flu for a week. In times where gas prices are rising, and the cost of living in some areas is quite high, a week of being sick leavs you with a week of no food later. I personally can't miss any time from work because I depend on the checks that come in to keep the family and pets fed along with the bills paid, which arent cheap at all.

Originally posted by alternateheaven
While I agree its probably being blown out of proprotion, I can unerstand where people would rather get the shot than come down with the flu for a week. In times where gas prices are rising, and the cost of living in some areas is quite high, a week of being sick leavs you with a week of no food later. I personally can't miss any time from work because I depend on the checks that come in to keep the family and pets fed along with the bills paid, which arent cheap at all.

Fair enough. I understand your rationale. I'm not above that at all. My parents house which they bought 6 friggin years ago for $115,000 is now appraised at over $300,000....so naturally the property taxes have skyrocketed and while they once lived comfortably they are now living on a paycheck to paycheck basis and can no longer afford to go on any vacations. We had to know we were due for a recession...but i digress. I understand your rationale. But Iraq and the upcoming election are FAR more important issues than the flu shot shortage...yet I'm bombarded with it from every news medium. And I see college students rushing to get this crap. Look, I don't want to come down with the flu during finals week either but I hardly ever get sick...and I think it's largely due to my flu shot refusal and willingness to wait my rare illnesses out rather than search for a quick fix. Illnesses are actually good for the body...it strengthens you.