Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Are you as tired of hearing about seasonal flu shots as I am? All right already, enough is enough. For some reason, everyone seems to be concerned about getting flu shots. We have flu every year, but this year the pundants are going into overdrive about it.

“The most important way to keep from getting any virus is to wash your hands, wear a mask, avoid crowds and remember to social distance,” say the health experts. So, why are we being beaten over the head with helpful hints about staying healthy? Because getting flu and the Coronovirus together would be a double whammy. But, habits are hard to change. People pretty much want to do what they always do.

This year’s panic is because of the pandemic, or Covid-19 if you want to be technically correct. Because of Covid, suddenly everyone has become aware of how dangerous seasonal flu can be. Maybe it took being hit over the head with a pandemic baseball bat to wake people up to the flu risks.

Funny, I don’t remember flu ever being called seasonal flu until this year. Suddenly plain old regular flu has gone fancy. They don’t want us to get the two mixed up and get the ridiculous idea that regular flu shots will protect us from that nasty old Covid-19 bug.

Hello, operator … the message isn’t getting through. Because of the Coronovirus people will get shots who never, ever had a flu shot before. There are many official statements saying the seasonal flu shot does not protect anyone from Covid. We will need to get two shots, not one — maybe even more, depending on what they come up with for Covid-19.

Due to the lack of availability, the government could set priorities on who can have the Coronovirus vaccine. Kind of scary when the government starts saying who can be protected from an epidemic, isn’t it? But obviously health care workers have to be first in line when/if a Covid vaccine is available.

I presume there will eventually be sufficient vaccine for all who want it to get it. Meanwhile, I will get my seasonal flu shot as usual this year at my friendly neighborhood drugstore.

Some people, however, have decided that the flu shot is more dangerous than the flu. And they are probably the same people who will think a vaccination is more dangerous than Covid. Lucky for them, if the rest of us get the shot, we are not spreading germs around to infect the protesters who don’t; thus, the infamous “herd immunity” we hear so much about.

Personally, I’m a believer in getting vaccinated. If everyone decided they didn’t need to be immunized, we would still have horrific preventable diseases like polio — diseases long ago abolished thanks to wide-spread vaccination programs.

So, all you folks that don’t want the vaccine get out of my way. I’m not in one of the priority groups, but when it is available for me, I’m darn sure going to get it. Call me brainwashed, a cow following the herd, a lemming, but I still think shots are a good thing.

You can wear your tin foil hat as far as I’m concerned and wait for the mothership. I’ll take my chances with the vaccine. Maybe, just maybe, there will be enough people that think like me to get this pandemic under control.

Now excuse me while I wash my hands again, put on my mask, go get my seasonal flu shot, avoid crowds and remember to social distance.

Copyright 2009-2020 Sheila Moss
Revised and Updated

Dear peeps, Remember I am supposedly a humor writer, not a healthcare expert. Please check the CDC Website for the latest information on Covid-19 and/or seasonal flu. I love all my readers and want you to stay healthy and alive.