Ren 1

Elizabeth Ren

ENGL 1301.5IN1

Professor Thomas Parker

July 7, 2018

Analysis of flu vaccine safety and effectiveness

In an article by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) written during the

2015-2016 flu season, it was disclosed that less than half of the American population reported

having received the flu vaccine, at a startling 39%. An array of reasons serve as possible

explanations for this low vaccination rate. Some groups of the population hold firm stances

against vaccinations, claiming that vaccines can lead to long-term health complications such as

autism. On the other hand, there are people who simply question the effectiveness of the flu

vaccine and whether or not it is truly necessary to receive on a yearly basis. The flu vaccine has

been proven to be safe and highly effective in preventing illnesses based on various case studies,

which have revealed that they function like they are intended to, they are subject to quality

control measures which ensure that certain ingredients are removed before production, and that

they are completely sterile.

Cases of influenza contraction and related health complications resulting in

hospitalization and in extreme cases, death, unsurprisingly appear in people who are

unvaccinated. During the 2012-2013 flu season, the CDC estimated that 105 pediatric deaths

occurred as a result of the flu. Out of those 105 deaths, 90% of them were a result of being

unvaccinated. Only 52% of children had received the vaccination by the end of the season.

Similarly, more than 1,419 Americans died in 2014 as a result of contracting the flu, and around

47,449 Americans were hospitalized in the United States alone. This is to be expected, seeing as
 Ren 2

only 47.1% of the total population was vaccinated. On the contrary, those who did receive the flu

vaccination were less likely to contract the influenza virus. According to the CDC, getting

vaccinated reduces the chances of acquiring the flu by approximately 50-60%. During the 2012-

2013 flu season, the vaccine was proven to be 49% effective. If the occasion arises in which an

individual is infected by the flu despite getting vaccinated, the vaccination lessens the severity of

their sickness. For instance, in 2017, a study reported that the flu vaccination reduced both deaths

and the duration of hospitalized flu patients. The flu vaccination was shown to be 48% percent

effective against the virus during the 2015-2016 flu season. The CDC estimated that if an

additional five percent of Americans had gotten the flu shot, 500,000 illnesses could have been

prevented along with 230,000 medical visits and 6,000 hospitalizations. Nonetheless, 2.5 million

medical visits along with 70,000 hospitalizations were prevented with the assistance of the flu

shot, and 3,000 deaths were halted. Thus, the flu vaccine meets the requirement of functioning

properly.

During the production of the flu vaccine, many ingredients are used in the process such as

egg protein, stabilizers, polysorbate 80, and formaldehyde. However, before dosages of the flu

vaccine are shipped off to hospitals and clinics to be commissioned for use by nurses and

doctors, formaldehyde is removed completely. Yeast proteins and latex are also removed upon

production so that the vaccine can be deemed suitable for use on patients. Removing these

ingredients before allowing the vaccine to be administered to patients is a result of manufacturers

being required to adhere to strict guidelines and rules set by the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA). Therefore, since the flu vaccine removes certain ingredients that are harmful if left to

remain in the final product, they meet the utmost standards of purity.
 Ren 3

Some flu vaccines contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative designed to protect

and prevent bacteria and fungi from rapidly multiplying. Antibiotics such as neomycin and

gentamicin are also added into the vaccine in small amounts to ward off any foreign bodies and

bacteria from contaminating the final product. Glutaraldehyde, which is a disinfectant, is also

used in the vaccine to deactivate toxins from bacteria used in the vaccine. Consequently, the flu

vaccine is free of bacteria and contamination due to these ingredients (Watson).

Although vaccines are not proven to be 100% effective due to the ever-changing viruses

such as Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 or Influenza B, they have still reduced the chances of

contracting these strains by a noteworthy margin. During the 2015-2016 flu season, the CDC

reported that the vaccine was proven to be 41% effective against Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and

55% effective against Influenza B. Therefore, the flu vaccination has still demonstrated its

functionality despite not being completely effective.

In the final analysis, flu vaccinations have proven to be effective in the lives of everyday

Americans. Those who choose not to be vaccinated are more susceptible to the flu regardless of

whether their health is in perfect condition. Not only are they more likely to contract the flu but

they also have a higher chance of dying from it as well. In contrast, those who do choose to get

vaccinated have a smaller chance of getting the flu. Flu vaccines are also made safe prior to

production through the removal of particular ingredients while also containing elements that

prevent contamination. An amalgamation of the findings discussed throughout the course of this

essay evaluating the overall safety and effectiveness of the flu vaccine has been exhibited by the

disease prevention success rates among those who have received the flu shot, the removal of

certain ingredients prior to production, and that the flu shot is aseptic.
 Ren 4

Works Cited

Mangan, Dan. “Flu Season: Fewer than Half Americans Vaccinated, Officials Call for Nearly

Everyone to Get a Shot.” CNBC, CNBC, 28 Sept. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/09/28/flu-

season-fewer-than-half-of-americans-vaccinated.html.

“Summary of the 2015-2016 Influenza Season.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Oct. 2017,

www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2015-2016.htm.

“Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness, 2005-2018.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Feb. 2018,

www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/effectiveness-studies.htm.

MacMillan, Amanda. “The Widespread Flu Has Killed 30 Children.” Time, Time, 22 Jan. 2018,

time.com/5113281/flu-death-toll-children-2018/.

“CDC Reports About 90 Percent of Children Who Died From Flu This Season Not Vaccinated.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

24 July 2013, www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/children-flu-deaths.htm.\

Carroll, Aaron E. “Still Not Convinced You Need a Flu Shot? First, It's Not All About You.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/upshot/flu-shot-deaths-herd-immunity.html.

“Fewer Than Half of Americans Report Having Gotten A Flu Vaccine This Season.” Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Feb.

2017, www.cdc.gov/flu/news/half-of-americans-received-flu-vaccine.htm.
 Ren 5

“The Effectiveness of Vaccination against Influenza in Healthy, Working Adults | NEJM.” New

England Journal of Medicine, Oxford University Press, 5 Oct. 1995,

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199510053331401.

“Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths Averted by

Vaccination in the United States.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Apr. 2017, www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/2015-

16.htm.

“What Are the Benefits of Flu Vaccination?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 Oct. 2017,

www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm.

Babcock, et al. “Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Workers: Translating Policy to

Practice | Clinical Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic.” OUP Academic, Oxford

University Press, 15 Feb. 2010, academic.oup.com/cid/article/50/4/459/349171.

Harmon, Katherine. “Are Health Care Workers Who Decline Flu Shots Irresponsible?” Scientific

American, 27 Sept. 2011, www.scientificamerican.com/article/health-care-workers-flu-

shot/.

“Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2014-15 Influenza Season.” Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 June 2016,

www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-1415estimates.htm.

Watson, Stephanie. “Flu Shot Ingredients: What's in It and Is It Safe?” Healthline, Healthline

Media, 30 Oct. 2017, www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/flu-shot-ingredients.

Moninger, Jeannette. “The Truth About the Flu Vaccine.” Parents, Parents, 5 Feb. 2018,

www.parents.com/health/cold-flu/the-truth-about-the-flu-vaccine/.
 Ren 6

“Vaccine Ingredients.” General Vaccine Safety and Science | Vaccine Knowledge, Oxford

Vaccine Group, 26 Mar. 2018, vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vaccine-ingredients.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Vaccine Safety.” Vaccines.gov, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Oct. 2006,

www.vaccines.gov/basics/safety/index.html.