Your lack of action can bring great harm to your friends and loved ones. It can even contribute to their death if they have COPD or lung infections that reduce their chances of living through the flu (or even a cold). The CDC says that 200,000 people land up in the hospital annually due to flu-related illness, probably because only 42% of Americans tend to get vaccinated against the flu.
Some people play Russian Roulette. Knowing that the vaccination is good for only a year, they wait until late in the year to get their shot so it “lasts longer.” Yet, the virus is already floating around, and it does take two weeks after the shot for the body to develop the necessary protective antibodies.
I got my inoculation, partly to protect myself but also because I feel a responsibility to help protect those around me. The flu is a potential killer. It’s up to each of us to stop it and to take care of each other.