So having looked up just what this story was about, I was compelled to listen to the back episodes and hear the final instalment. Here was a story charting the history and development of the original Hong Kong flu of 1969,through the life and loves of Jill and David, up to present day. It charted the damage the flu can inflict on us and the disruption it can cause in our lives...much like any illness I guess, just that those we don't have a vaccine for as yet are never labelled as deadly or harmful or I'm sure they would be pushed too.
But we are in the middle of the flu jab campaign and this collaboration between the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute and Sarah Woods, the writer for this drama was snugly placed at the end of every Woman's Hour - a drip feed reminder of the flu, what it can do, and with a lot of references through out, to the consequences of getting flu and of people asking 'have you had the flu jab?'. A blow by blow account of how seemingly easy it is to catch it and that it mutates, so getting the jab once is not enough. The same virus that Jill was infected with in '69 has mutated several times across the decades and to Jill's body it is new each time as her immune system doesn't recognise it.
The words are always key, 'attacking' the immune system etc and stressing the disruption it can cause, in this case never quite letting 2 people in love be together......
I see many people who have the flu jab and despite what doctors say,they seem to be the only ones that get a dose of flu on a regular basis...not sure that's the desired outcome. Some are so proud to get their jabs every year and for those that don't end up with a dose of flu are convinced it was the flu jab that stopped it - but the chances of getting flu every year are rare,even every 5 years. We have a tendency to call a heavy cold 'the flu' so the definition and understanding of it is a little vague but plays in to the hands of those that want to push the flu jab.
The conflict of interest is great, and with a GP's and Pharmacists paid for every jab, is it any wonder it can feel we are nothing more than a market for a commodity.
If the key is to prevent you getting flu, then why not a big push on vitamin C and Vitamin D in the run up to winter, typical flu season. It could cost a lot less than the vaccine, no side effects other than additional benefits to you health.
It is no surprise that winter is a prime time for such viruses. To ensure a healthy immune system, we need good doses of Vit D, most of us this far north of the equator are well under healthy Vit D levels and as the days grow shorter, what sun we have and the time we are actually exposed to it, is so short that we go into winter with already depleted immunity.
So never mind the not so subtle campaigns to get us to have flu jabs, how about a campaign for us all to get a Vit D test or just increase our levels to the optimum for strong immunity.
The best thing about this approach is that it is not a one trick pony...the flu jab 'might' protect you from certain flu viruses the WHO have figured we are susceptible to, some believe it doesn't even do that. For the sake of argument, let us give it the credit for protecting you from the flu.....Increasing your Vit D and Vit C, will boost your immune system and help protect you against what ever other viruses and cell mutations might occur - Vitamins multi task in your body.
Between the two options, the vitamin approach has more going for it, cheaper and no hidden ingredients that we might like first to be informed about before taking the shot. A win win!
May be we need a radio 4 serial that drip feeds us the benefits of vitamins,then we might take them and have healthier lives as a result.....not sure the Sanger Centre will collaborate on that one.
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