The Great Controversies of the Influenza Vaccine

Rebecca Anguiano
4/26/16

For many years, the Influenza virus vaccination has caused controversy amongst people
nationwide. To many, the Influenza vaccination is believed to bring sickness to those who would
get the shot. Others believe the vaccination can bring side effects such as, narcolepsy to the
children of the pregnant women who happened to get the shot. Because of the lack of
information for the Influenza vaccine and the virus itself, many countries around the world can
suffer greatly for not receiving the shot. Those unaware that the vaccine does have many benefits
for our health, can make it so they prevent themselves from being protected by a potentially
dangerous epidemic. On the other hand, some side effects of the Influenza virus can be caused
through defective vaccinations, although this isnt really common or not as likely to ever happen,
there have been cases where this was possible.
Some people argue that the Influenza virus is known to be a very deadly disease, but
others are unaware of what the virus can actually do. In order to have a better understanding of
how the vaccination works, we must learn to acknowledge the full potential of the virus in our
bodies first. Some misconceptions about the flu is the fact that it is mostly confused for the
common cold and that the virus is less likely to affect healthier people. Generally speaking, the
flu virus is actually a respiratory disease, neither a stomach nor intestinal disease. The flu virus is
most commonly found living in cold temperatures, which is why the virus is most severely
airborne during the fall seasons. Known symptoms for the virus include, vomiting, diarrhea,
coughing, sneezing, chills, sore throat, and fever; sometimes for extreme complications, the
respiratory illness can lead to death. Normally, when the human body detects an unfamiliar
bacteria, it will naturally send out immune cells or antibodies from a signal protein in our genes
to respond to it. This explains why the body will usually go through fevers or high temperature
changes, specifically a fight between the virus and our immune cells. Without the vaccination,
our antibodies cant be strong enough to fight off the virus leading to worse complications.
Typically, when scientists are going through the process of creating vaccinations, there
goal is to target immune signaling proteins, or finding ways to produce more. Recent studies
show, that variant genes can help determine who is more likely to benefit from a flu vaccine or
not by not producing these proteins. According to a recent Science News article, In immune
cells from some vaccinated healthy volunteers, the scientists added a protein particle designed to
block the signaling action of the IL-28B protein. Antibody production increased substantially.
(Seppa 2015 p.1) When the researchers had added this protein instead of blocking it, antibody

production decreased. This means that the overall effectiveness of the vaccine can be better when
the protein action is being blocked. Overall, those who are vaccinated with this blocking
response protein are more than, twice as likely to develop enough antibodies to trigger a strong
response against flu. (Seppa 2015 p.1) Although this may sound effective, rarely, there are times
that a vaccine can be defective. In the spring of 2013, a pandemic of the H7N9 flu virus had
infected 135 people in China. Because researchers had been unprepared for this kind of event,
the Scientific American article mentions, When a virus like H7N9 makes a surprise appearance
in people, however, manufacturers must scramble to concoct an entirely new vaccine from
scratch, which takes too long to prevent a large number of people from becoming sick and
dying. (Maryn 2014 p.1) This makes it so that scientists can be too rushed while making an
updated vaccine, causing a defective outcome. The trouble is that every new virus requires a
new vaccine, and making new vaccines takes time. (Maryn 2014 p.1)
Considering what we now know, figuring out what exactly is in the vaccine is still the
question. According to the Scientific American article, Each vaccine contains flu antigens -- bits
of viral molecules that can trigger an immune response. The antigens used in routine flu vaccines
are fragments of a mushroom-shaped protein, called a hemagglutinin that protrudes from a flu
virus's surface and helps the pathogen cling to cells inside an infected individual. (Maryn 2014
p.2) When someone becomes exposed to this protein, their immune system will produce
antibodies to attack against it, like mentioned earlier. In the end, the flu vaccine does not have a
live flu virus. Aside from short lasting side effects such as, soreness at the spot and slight aches,
it is impossible that the vaccination can get give you the flu or the common cold. But what are
the chances of getting narcolepsy through the shot? Almost none. The New Scientist article
stated that, part of a surface protein called HA on the 2009 virus resembles hypocretin, a brain
chemical that helps keep people awake. (New Scientist 2014 p.1) When our immune systems
learn to recognize a virus, it is possible that it can be confused for hypocretin, making our
antibodies destroy it, causing narcolepsy. When the scientist had given narcoleptic children the
flu vaccine, signs of immune cells destroying the hypocreptin cells were shown. Meaning some
flu vaccines can be bad for people who have this problem. Researchers at Stanford University
suggest that this most likely happens because everyones immune system can react to viruses
differently. Unfortunately, this is still something scientists are still trying to get the answer for.

Even provided with this information, it is still important to note that the flu virus is
always evolving and very quickly, Even a minor alteration can make it much more difficult for
the immune system to identify and eliminate a flu virus that is nearly identical to its earlier
version. This is why we have to get new flu shots every year. (Maryn 2014 p.1) But even though
the vaccine can protect you from the Influenza virus, it cant entirely keep you from getting sick.
When receiving the vaccine it is important to make sure you dont already have the flu, it is
possible you may be exposed to another kind of flu the vaccine cant find a match for to protect
against. You may also want to be sure you dont already have a cold, or even have an allergic
reaction to the vaccine. Since the virus can get worse every year, it can affect the elderly and
children the most, especially those with Asthma or Heart Disease.
Overall, from what we can see, the Influenza Virus is far from the common cold. The flu
can affect anybody and everybody whether you are the healthiest person or not. Because the
virus is always creating different and more deadly versions of itself each year, we can say that it
is highly recommended to be vaccinated for it. Chances are, you will not be at risk of getting
narcolepsy or any other form of illness unless your immune system already says otherwise. It is
also important to remember that defective vaccinations only occur when an unexpected
pandemic of the virus has appeared, rushing scientists to create new vaccines each time and it
takes time. Otherwise, it is safe to be vaccinated for the Influenza disease protecting yourself and
others from being infected.

Literature Cited
"Mystery Of Link Between Flu Vaccine And Narcolepsy Solved." New Scientist 221.2950
(2014): 15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
Mckenna, Maryn. "A Flu Vaccine That's Always In Season." Scientific American 310.1 (2014):
26-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Seppa, Nathan. "Flu Shot Response Depends On Gene." Science News 187.2 (2015): 9.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.