01/07/2026
A series.
Antivaxxer: “people have been recovering from the flu since the dawn of time, its not a death sentence, but that shot is, I’ll take my chances with the flu.”
Facts:
While most people do recover from the flu, it kills tens of thousands of people every year in the United States alone - between 12,000 and 52,000 deaths annually, with hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations.[1] Globally, influenza causes an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths each year.[2]
The flu shot is not a "death sentence" - it's actually remarkably safe. Millions of people receive flu vaccines each year, and the most common side effects are mild and temporary: sore arm, headache, muscle aches, or low-grade fever that goes away in a day or two.[3] Serious adverse events are extremely rare.[4][5] In contrast, the flu itself can cause serious complications including pneumonia, heart attacks, strokes, and death - particularly in older adults, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions.[1]
The numbers speak for themselves. In the U.S. alone, influenza causes 9 to 41 million illnesses and 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations every year.[1] Even healthy people can develop severe complications. Among hospitalized flu patients, 15-22% require intensive care, 5-11% need breathing machines, and 2-4% die in the hospital.[6][7]
The choice isn't between a harmless flu and a dangerous vaccine - it's between a vaccine with minimal, temporary side effects versus a disease that hospitalizes hundreds of thousands and kills tens of thousands every year.
The evidence overwhelmingly supports vaccination as the safer choice. And yes, even if it’s not a perfect match for the seasonal strain!
References
1. Influenza. Uyeki TM, Hui DS, Zambon M, Wentworth DE, Monto AS. Lancet (London, England). 2022;400(10353):693-706. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00982-5.
2. Estimates of Global Seasonal Influenza-Associated Respiratory Mortality: A Modelling Study. Iuliano AD, Roguski KM, Chang HH, et al. Lancet (London, England). 2018;391(10127):1285-1300. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33293-2.
3. Influenza (Flu) Vaccine Safety. CDC Vaccines.
4. Safety Monitoring of Health Outcomes Following Influenza Vaccination During the 2023-2024 Season Among U.S. Commercially-Insured Individuals Aged 6 months Through 64 years: Self-Controlled Case Series Analyses. Lloyd PC, Acharya G, Zhao H, et al. Vaccine. 2025;63:127614. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127614.
5. Post-Licensure Surveillance of Quadrivalent Inactivated Influenza (IIV4) Vaccine in the United States, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), July 1, 2013-May 31, 2015. Haber P, Moro PL, Lewis P, et al. Vaccine. 2016;34(22):2507-12. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.048.
6. Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children and Adults - Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network, United States, 2010-2023. Naquin A, O'Halloran A, Ujamaa D, et al. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002). 2024;73(6):1-18. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss7706a1.
7. Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations During a High Severity Season - Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network, United States, 2024-25 Influenza Season. O'Halloran A, Habeck JW, Gilmer M, et al. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2025;74(34):529-537. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7434a1.
📣 SAME OLD DISCLAIMER: I will not tolerate any antivax comments or any misinformation regarding vaccines on my page and anyone commenting with such will be deleted and banned without warning (including fake questions/comments meant to disguise the true agenda - I see through this). I’m happy to post links from reputable sources as additional information but I WILL NOT engage with science deniers, especially on this topic.
👉
