Herd Immunity

Way back in the third presidential debate, I thought "President" Bush made a big mistake when he said...

My call to our fellow Americans is if you're healthy, if you're younger, don't get a flu shot this year...I haven't gotten a flu shot, and I don't intend to because I want to make sure those who are most vulnerable get treated.

That statement reminded me of an article from almost a year ago about flu vaccinations and why even healthy young people should get them.

"I'm young and healthy," you might say, "why do I need the shot?"

Whoa, this article is more apt than I remembered.

Even if spending a week violently sick and bedridden doesn't worry you, by immunizing yourself you vastly lessen the chances you will spread the virus to some child or older person (family member, friend, or stranger) who might die from it.

In medicine, this concept is called "herd immunity"?that is, if enough members of a group of animals (including humans) are immunized against a disease, the entire group is more likely to escape infection.

Watching the debate, it occured to me that people running for elected office shake a lot of old peoples' hands and kiss a lot of babies. Isn't Bush putting others at risk by not immunizing himself?

I didn't bring it up at the time because, well, it's a quibble. But now I have context!

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.), a heart surgeon, sent letters urging his 99 colleagues to get the shots because they mingle and shake hands with so many people, his spokeswoman, Amy Call, said.

In conclusion, don't let George W. Bush kiss your baby.