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Why people ignore flu vaccination: top 10 dumbest arguments
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
">Flu is the most common infectious disease. The flu virus can be caught at any time of the year, but it is especially active in the autumn and winter.
You can catch this “surprise” through a simple handshake, hug, kiss, and even at a distance of up to 2.5 meters from the source of infection, through airborne droplets.
“Flu is a ‘contact’ virus,” says Dr. Katherine Garnier, a family physician at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “It can spread from one person to another, through contact with objects. For example, by touching a doorknob or pressing an elevator button, a person can become infected.”
Undoubtedly, the best way to avoid this unpleasant disease is immunization, that is, vaccination, thanks to which a person becomes immune to the infectious disease and acquires immunity.
However, some people believe that vaccinations that can protect their bodies from this disease are a waste of time and money.
For those who have not yet come up with a reason to refuse vaccination, Dr. Garnier has prepared the following list of the most common and sometimes stupid reasons for refusing vaccinations that protect our bodies from the flu.
So, here are the top 10 most unwise reasons to put yourself at risk of getting sick:
- This year I feel just great, and if so, then not a single infection will stick to me.
- Vaccination is an inexpensive procedure, so what good can it do?
- I am not afraid of the flu. Temperature, joint pain, sore throat and headache do not scare me, and in general, I never get sick.
- Why not take sick leave and lie at home in bed for a week and take a break from work?
- By the way, these cute half-face flu masks are all the rage.
- If you get very sick, you will lose your appetite and you can lose a few extra pounds.
- What difference does it make? I don't have any travel plans anyway, so why not just cheer?
- I'm eager to know if my insurance company will cover my treatment costs?
- I went to the market and didn't get swine flu, which means I have natural immunity.
- If I get the flu, I will definitely visit my distant relatives, whom I don't like. Why not share the infection with them, we are family, let them get sick too?
These are the kinds of ridiculous arguments that people sometimes give when they refuse to protect their health.
In addition, Dr. Garnier warns that the idea that it is impossible to catch the flu from someone with the flu if you have already caught the infection yourself is a myth. Most drugs that fight the flu are based on already known viruses, so it is not known which of the unstudied types of flu a person is infected with. Do not take risks and stay away from the sick person.
"Many people do not realize that they are risking their lives by perceiving the flu as a slight malaise and a runny nose. Every year, the flu virus takes up to 49,000 lives in the United States alone. The elderly and small children are especially vulnerable, so do not play with death, think carefully before refusing vaccination," says Dr. Garnier.