The last 12 months have been great for raising the voice of the over-60s community at Starts at 60, something we feel strongly about doing. During the next few weeks we are celebrating the blogs that resonated with readers the most throughout the year. This blog is one of our Top 30 blogs for 2018.

After reading so many ignorant and blatantly stupid comments about the flu and vaccinations by the younger generation recently, I was compelled to respond to one young man in particular who thought a healthy body and immune system will protect him from the flu. Apparently it is okay to pass the flu on to the elderly, or babies too young to be immunised?

Apparently, we don’t have a right to be protected and kept safe. Eating and exercising right will not protect us from the ever-mutating flu virus.

I’m not sure where he learned about eating and exercise. Surely this young man would have also learned about the immune system. Like so many of the younger generation who seem to think they’ve invented the wheel, what is known is based on what has been learned and the knowledge has been built upon by generations before now.

There are many who have compromised immune systems who cannot survive the flu — not only the elderly, but children and babies younger than six months. There are also people with severe, life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine, which could include gelatin or antibiotics. Even people who have an allergy to eggs should talk to their doctor about getting a flu vaccine.

Those of us aged over the age of 50 are often considered a ‘priority group’ when it comes to the flu because we are more likely to have chronic medical conditions that put us at higher risk of severe flu illness.

It is the younger generation who is responsible for building upon what has been learnt so that the next generation can do the same to protect against viruses that can kill. This is called evolution.

Just like the flu mutates and evolves, so do humans unless they stick their heads in the sand and ignore what has been learnt and passed down by each generation. The Spanish flu pandemic killed thousands of soldiers during World War I. It killed between 3 per cent and 6 per cent of the global population. A very good reason to get as much protection as possible against another such pandemic.

Will you have, or have you had, the flu vaccination this year?

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