(I went on a tangent about moral and ethical issues of vaccinations instead of advertisements. That has been posted at the bottom. )
In light of flu season, I have found an advertisement about flu vaccination. At dinner, one of my housemates mentioned the advertisements hanging from the aisle and entrance of CVS. She talked about succumbing to the pressure from these advertisements, which was not even on her mind before she stepped foot in the store.
Usually, advertisements at CVS are for material items that can be bought and used. However, the advertisements for flu shots did not surprise me. The ad shows a person in a white coat portraying a healthcare worker. This is a classic obey-the-authority-figure strategy. Americans like to believe that doctors and healthcare workers know the answers to all their medical issues. A white coat is the standard piece of any physician's wardrobe and the stethoscope is the most popular accessory. By placing a healthcare worker in an ad for a medical-related issue, the general public will believe that the product is safe and even beneficial for their health.
The bolded "flu shots" suggests that by receiving the single painful injection, one will be able to enjoy the holiday seasons flu-free. The vaccination actually consists of three or four strains of the virus that the CDC predicts will be active that season. This is not a definite protection against the other strains of the flu. But this information is only in the fine print.
Flu shot or no flu shot is ultimately an individual choice.
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Personally, I am an advocate for vaccinations, a discovery that has benefitted public health. But there are many moral and ethical issues pertaining to vaccinations. The first is the freedom of choice. Mandatory vaccinations to enter the education system forces children to receive measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations. Although some children may never encounter these diseases, they are one of the most vulnerable populations and can benefit from the strengthening of the immune system. Even more important is the prevention of spreading the disease to other children.
Another argument against vaccination is the fact that we are artificially injecting ourselves to protect us from natural effects. Technology allows us to manipulate our own bodies (organ transplants, stem-cell transplants, blood transfusions, etc). It's almost as if the body we were born in is no longer our body. Instead, we are filled with bio-engineered substances to help us live longer. Yet, every day we encounter things that man has created such as purified water (as opposed to natural lake water) and processed foods. One could argue that what man makes is in essence a part of nature because every atom and particle is a part of the natural (but not necessarily living) world.
Both the "choice" and "artificial" argument are valid. However, we all live in a society where people interact with each other. To participate in this society, some personal freedoms must be sacrificed.
It's a difficult thing, when you see an ad you hate for a thing you like.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about this when my roommate mentioned she was scheduling an appointment to go get her flu shot. When asked if I was going to get one I said no and automatically recieved a look of confusion and judgement in return. The next day my house sent out an email notifying all of us of the days we could go and that there would be a house event to go get a flu shot together. I repeat, a house event. It's hard to not be pressured into it because getting a flu shot has started to become a high pressure decision that is almost no longer a decision because of the level of judgement that comes with not getting one.
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