Stephanie Valle: Fighting The Flu – Being In A Priority Group

by ABC-7 Reporter/Anchor Stephanie Valle

It was last week when I got a call from my physician telling me I could go in to receive my H1N1 flu vaccine. Being as I’m halfway through my pregnancy, I didn’t hesitate in heading to the office immediately after work to get vaccinated. A week later, the sore spot in my arm is long gone, as is my concern about catching the “swine flu.”

There are so many people, including those in priority groups, refusing an H1N1 flu shot due to fear of it being rushed to the American people without enough testing, risk of actually catching the virus, or even dying. Think about it – have you heard of anyone dying from the vaccine? I haven’t. Rather, we’ve all heard of people dying of the virus itself. There have been three confirmed H1N1-related deaths in El Paso and Las Cruces in just the last week alone.

Not only did I personally not come down with any symptoms indicative of the flu after being vaccinated, but I also haven’t heard on the news or from my friends and family of one person feeling sick post-inoculation. (Ironically, I just received my seasonal flu shot on Wednesday and felt lethargic, slightly feverish, and congested).

The Centers for Disease Control just said this week that the H1N1 flu strain is widespread in 48 states and hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase. The CDC also announced at that same news conference that only one dose of vaccine is needed to immunize pregnant women from the H1N1 strain.

Personally, the fact that young mothers-to-be across the country are dying due to a flu strain is enough evidence to get inoculated. How do you think the husbands and families of the deceased felt knowing that a baby and this mother, wife, and daughter could have been protected if she overcame that fear of the vaccine and got that single shot free of charge?