Through these past months I’ve had so many people come to me to tell me their own feelings and histories about the flu shot, and it’s been a great reminder to hear each one and understand more about why people go out to get their own. You know our story. Flu prevention has always been important in our family, with many high risk people always in our lives, and now we push forward having seen the ultimate consequence of influenza. We know what it looks like and we know how it feels, and we don’t want anyone else to be in our shoes.
Here is a collection of stories that have come my way. So much of the conversation revolves around personal health, but we need to think past that to public health. Get the shot for yourself. But really, get the shot for the people around you who might be less able to fight the infection and recover. We need to think about the person in the elevator, in line at the store, at the desk across from us, at school with our kids, going home to a pregnant wife or sick parent. Get the shot for yourself, but get the shot for them.
A huge thank you to everyone who has come to me to tell me their stories. Keep them coming, and keep telling people around you. If you have high-risk people in your life, have conversations with the people around you and help protect the more vulnerable. Approximately 3500 Canadians and 36,000 Americans are dying from the flu every year. Read here as people share their reasons for getting the shot.
“This year I got my flu shot to protect myself and those around me, including my Dad. My Dad has a compromised immune system and is more susceptible to complications from the flu.” – Claire
Photograph by Jamie Dimitry
“I get the flu shot for myself, my family, my community and immuno-compromised neighbours. When I visit my grandmother in the nursing home, I want to bring only photos and flowers – not influenza, which could be devastating to any resident. When I visit my friends brand new baby, I want to help them by looking after their baby so they can sleep – not leave them with a devastating illness for a baby who can’t yet get their flu shot. When I am chatting with the customer service agent at the grocery store or the barista at my local coffee shop, I want to wish them a happy holiday season, not pass along a serious illness that they could take home to their family member going through cancer treatments. I get the flu shot because a healthy community is within our reach and this is an important step in protecting each other. And I get the flu shot in memory of a sweet little boy named Jude.” – Sarah
This story comes from a member of our Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He keeps a low profile on social media, but wanted to share why the shot is so important for him in his line of work – and also for all of the people he deals with in any given day. We’re keeping him anonymous, so here’s a Greyhound ad in place of his picture. It’s actually not a bad likeness, either.
First, his job finds him constantly dealing with many different members of the public, and he is routinely exposed to things that could impact his health. He gets the flu shot as his own first defense against illness, to lower the chances that he’ll get sick.
Second, because he is constantly dealing with so many people throughout the day, he wants to make sure that he’s doing his part to prevent infecting the public with something that he’s picked up from someone else he’s been dealing with.
This story hit home for me. I’ve often thought of the teams that worked on Jude the day we lost him, and after finding out that he’d died of influenza B, wondered about whether anyone who performed CPR on him might have gotten sick. We’ve stayed in touch with the first officer on the scene and he gets the flu shot every year to protect himself and all those around him.
“I am motivated each year to get the flu shot because I have two elderly parents in a nursing home and two small children at home that attend two different schools/daycares.” – Estelle
“We are looking forward to spending the holidays with our family and friends. These are two of my favourite people who we will get to share the holidays with. My family got our flu shots to keep these two safe and healthy. My Uncle Tom has M.S., and catching the flu could be detrimental to his health and well being. And my beautiful cousin Arden is 12 weeks pregnant. We got our flu shots to keep our new niece/ nephew safe and healthy as well. Protecting ourselves is important. Protecting the vulnerable around us is just as important. Who will you get your flu shot for?” – Meagan
“This was my first year getting the flu shot (embarrassingly enough) because I never thought of it as something in place to protect others. After hearing about Jude I had to make sure I wasn’t in a position to pass along bugs to higher risk groups. Especially as a photographer who deals with babies, kids and elderly it’s all our responsibility to take care of each other. Thank you for helping shine a light on this, I know it can’t be easy for you.” – Lindsay
Lindsay Coulter was the photographer who captured us this year as she documented the Syrian refugee who saved the day when a bride’s zipper broke. I want to note that I don’t think Lindsay’s story is anything to be embarrassed about. I think she’s like most people, and that’s why we wanted to start this conversation. We underestimate the flu, and we underestimate our personal potential to save lives with a quick shot. Keep talking, keep sharing. We can work together to make this better.
“Even though I have a working immune system, I recognize that getting a flu shot is more about protecting my wife then it is about protecting me. I can be carrying a virus, something that has a small effect on me but could have a devastating effect on my wife. She has almost no immune system because of her organ transplant. I get the flu shot to protect those that even at first glance don’t look like they need help, but underneath they really do. Those of us with healthy immune systems need to do our part to protect those who don’t. ” Tristan about Hattie
Photograph by Alana Salisbury of 1486 Photography
‘I get my flu shot because 6 years ago I almost died. I had end stage lung failure and needed a lung transplant to keep living. As a result, I’m now living with almost no immune system. I’m immunocompromised. Now I need to do everything in my power to make sure I do my organ donor proud. I get the flu vaccine to stay healthy, so I can keep breathing. Since I’m immunocompromised sometimes the flu shot doesn’t work on me, which is really scary. My family and friends get the flu shot to keep me safe and I love them all the more for it. My husband had never gotten a flu shot before he met me but now realizes the importance of keeping others in our community safe. We can help stop the flu from taking more innocent lives. As Rick Mercer says “it’s just a little prick, don’t be one, get one!”‘ – Hattie
Photograph by Sara Monika, Photographer
“I was a skeptic, I didn’t believe in it, I was the person who thought by not getting it, it would only effect me. In the past year I have realized that all the above statements are wrong. I got the flu shot this year because of Jude and because of Kyleigh. Kyleigh is my 6 month old daughter and heart warrior. She had life saving, open heart surgery on October 25, 2016. She will be my reason (and my husbands) to get the flu shot every year. This not only protects us, but her as well. Having a congenital heart defect Kyleigh has a higher risk of catching viruses ( like the flu). I am glad to say we have actually changed some of our family members and closest friends minds about getting the flu shot. Kyleigh has also received her first flu shot. If a 6 month old heart warrior can get a flu shot so can you!” – Kristy
“I got my flu shot because my beautiful 5 month old granddaughter had open heart surgery and she is very high risk. I also get it for my Mom who is in a retirement home and in the end I get it for me. So that I don’t give the flu to anyone I love.” – Sue
“We got flu shots for a lot of reasons this year, one of them being Jude. I have always made sure my kids are up to date on all of their vaccinations, but for some reason, haven’t always prioritized myself. But it’s not just about me and my kids. My dad is being treated for cancer, which causes him to have a compromised immune system. Simple colds or sinus infections have landed him in the hospital before, so there is no way he could handle something like the flu. My priority is that he’s healthy enough to enjoy his granddaughters.” – Angela
“I realized after reading through the difference between a cold and a flu that I get the flu every year. Twice it’s turned into pneumonia, once with pleurisy so bad, my left lung wouldn’t work. I have an inflammatory arthritis, my immune system is compromised. I’m hoping I can make it through this winter healthy for once.” – Trish
Photograph by Raw Sugar Imagery
“We get it every year, though this year of course was for Jude. Truthfully though, I’m selfish most years; I really don’t want me or my family to get the flu, because it’s miserable being that sick. It’s a bonus that my vaccination can protect someone else.” – Rachel
“We always get it. Dan’s grandparents are still around so we used to do it for them mostly…but since the kids were born we have even more reasons. Also Christian is asthmatic so he is even more at risk for respiratory issues. And your campaign helped remind us and give us yet another reason to do it.
“Your campaign also helped me light a fire under some family members who were indifferent.” – Angela
“I got it because I ride public transit every day with hundreds of people, and then I come home from work and step foot inside a daycare center full of perfect little children. Anything I can do to protect them – especially something so easy and free – seems like a no-brainer.” – Cristi
“I got the shot for my little boy who wasn’t old enough at the time (although he’s now six months and will be getting his first shot this week!) and all of the other babies he and I interact with daily at play groups and while getting together with friends with little ones.” – Sara
Photograph by Jill Promoli – Photographer
“I never used to get the flu shot, until Ariana was born 4 years ago. I then started getting it to protect her. This exposed my own hypocrisy – I got the shot to protect my own child, but all those years I exposed other people’s children. I now get it every year to protect my own 3 young children, protect myself, and protect people I don’t know (in that order, probably).” – Josh