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EDITORIAL: Flu shouldn't be a killer

Fayetteville Observer - 3/30/2017

March 30--In this state, we've already more than doubled last year's flu epidemic death toll. As of March 18, 126 North Carolinians died from influenza infections. Last year, only 59 died. In 2014-2015, it was much worse, with 218 people losing their lives.

What's puzzling and aggravating about those numbers is that many of those deaths could have been prevented. Flu vaccines aren't 100 percent effective but in many years come close to that when researchers correctly predict which strain of the influenza virus is likely to spread across the country. It's especially important that people who are elderly or have a weakened immune system get the vaccine.

But we often wonder why everyone doesn't. The shots are cheap, often free at clinics or fully covered by many health insurance plans. A few people aren't able to take the vaccine because of allergies, but many more avoid it because they fear that the vaccine itself will make them ill -- which long ago was possible, when the vaccines were made from live flu virus. But that was decades ago. Now, the only downside is the poke of a needle and a sore spot that lasts a day or two. That's a pretty good tradeoff for avoiding the flu.

Public health experts say this year's flu epidemic is winding down and the threat of infection will be gone soon. But it's not too soon for all of us to resolve that we'll get a flu shot next fall. The flu is definitely not something to die for.

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(c)2017 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)

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