I would agree that many of the TV commercials for medications are over the top. The list of potential side effects are harrowing, leading one to think that if they weren’t sick before taking this medication they very well may be after taking it. These disclaimers are necessary because of the litigious society that we live in where so many are looking for a payday.
But as far as the Flu goes it is scientifically proven to be seasonal world wide, with every global region having a different time of the year that is designated as Flu season. See the Wikipedia link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_season
So called “Big Pharma” has been responsible for the eradication of many diseases for many decades. I’m old enough to remember well the kids that were paralyzed or died from Polio. With the advent of the Salk Polio vaccine in 1953 and the wide spread administration of this vaccine beginning in 1955 this horrible disease was wiped out in America. When I was 5 years old, two doors down from our home the bay window in the front of that house had an Iron Lung in the living room, the only room in that home large enough for this life saving device for their son who was paralyzed from the neck down from Polio.
In the early 1930’s my Mom’s family lived in Cullison, Kansas a town with about 250 population at that time. An epidemic of Scarlet Fever killed off 50% of the population and all the able bodied men in town had to dig the graves to bury the dead. My Aunt Virginia who was 12 at the time was never able to see again without glasses after having Scarlet Fever. Grandma and her four daughters were quarantined and Grandpa, who miraculously didn’t get Scarlet Fever had to pass food through a window so they could eat. Because of the development of Penicillin diseases like Scarlet Fever and other strep infections were no longer the cause of thousands of deaths every year. I had Rheumatic Fever at age 6 and Penicillin and Sulfa drugs saved my life. I was told in my teens that because of the heart murmur that I was left with I probably wouldn’t live beyond age 35. Well I’m 3 mo shy of 75 and still going strong. Antibiotics developed by “Big Pharma” have allowed me to live a long and healthy life. At age 31 my heart murmur mysteriously dissapeared and never returned.
I retired 20 years ago and haven’t been ill with a cold, flu or sinus infection since then because I’m no longer exposed daily to hundreds of people with illnesses in a building with a closed air circulation system, knock on wood! But I always get an annual flu vaccination and with the Covid Pandemic I’ve kept current on my Covid vaccinations too. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I only go to the doctor once a year for an annual physical exam.
“Big Pharma” has saved countless lives and improved the quality of lives with medications like Insulin that keep diabetics alive. Before Insulin diabetics died painful and early deaths.
So, if you choose to not avail yourselves of the scientific benefits of “Big Pharma” thats your business. But failing to vaccinate your children and allowing childhood illnesses like Measles that had been all by eradicated because smart parents for decades had their children vaccinated, but in many places children are no longer being vaccinated and spreading the disease to others is socially irresponsible.
We’ve known for decades that vaccinations can save lives and improve the health of the general population. What a shame that so many are turning back the clock to a time when these illnesses weren’t preventable because of their mistrust of medical science.
Eddie
