Today I decided to take advantage of early voting, and exercised my civic duty to vote.
Amongst the many annoying things about voting (eg. queue stupidity, the fact that in this conservative (red)neck of the woods there are about 15 uncontested staunch republican positions, etc.) was the conversation I overheard two women behind me having. Mind you, they were only a few years older than me, if that. I put them at squarely mid-thirties.
Amongst their general suburban moaning they began to discuss the flu vaccine shortage. Apparently there is a clinic here that is giving the vaccine to whoever wants it, no age restrictions enforced. One was telling the other that although she is not in the recommended age group she got a vaccine, because after all she's has cheeeeeldren and is exposed to lots of people in the course of her suburban days and she just "can't afford" to get sick. The other said she totally understood, last year she got the vaccine and still got sick, but was thankful she'd had the vaccine because if not...it could have been much worse. And, she didn't understand why only old people or children should get it, because (ha ha jokey jokey) what if there were some sort of crisis in which able-bodied americans were needed to fight a war or deal with disaster and the able bodied adult population will have been decimated by the flu.
Retards.
Firstly, the age recommendations are in place because those population groups are most at risk of developing COMPLICATIONS with the flu. Normal, healthy adults may get sick, but it's very unlikely they would develop life threatening complications. Just suck it up. If you get the flu, tough shit. Take some tylenol, take plenty of fluids, and sleep it out. It will suck but, get over yourself already. You are not a delicate and tiny snowflake...you'll live. That elderly person that didn't get the vaccine because you, as a self important suburban mother, "couldn't afford" to get the flu may not be so lucky.
Secondly, the flu vaccine generally only protects agains a certain strain of the flu, so if you are exposed to a different strain, guess what? You will get the flu! Tough shit.
Finally, and unrelated to the conversation I overheard....having the flu can not be fixed by taking antibiotics. The flu is the flu. You just have to suffer through it and you'll be ok. So what, you'll not feel well for a few days. Too bad so sad.
Seriously people! What is wrong with you?
