Forget the Flu Vaccinations or Flu Forgetfulness?
In the midst of the winter season,
we are constantly reminded that it’s also flu season and that we need to get
the new vaccination. This year, I have felt particularly lazy, and haven’t received
my flu vaccination yet. And I don’t feel the need to. However, coming across
this article has made me change my mind, and may change your mind as well, if
you’re like me and haven’t gotten the vaccination yet.
A study investigated the effects of
three types of influenza A in mice. The three types of influenza A that were
being studied were H1N1, H7N7 and H3N2, and these strains were inserted into
the mice via the nose. Afterwards, the mice were under observation to see if
there will be any memory problems 30, 60 and 120 days after receiving the
strain. After 30 days, it was found that all of the mice have gain weight and
recovered from the flu, however the mice with H3N2 and H7N7 experienced greater
difficulty in performing a memory task. Alarmingly, the H3N2 strain is the
current strain of this year’s flu season. H7N7 is a strain that only rarely
infects people, and is considered to be very dangerous. The mice with H1N1 were
able to complete the task normally, and this strain was the cause of the swine
flu outbreak back in 2009.
In addition to the memory task,
researchers also looked into the mice’s brain tissue. They found that after 30
days, those infected with H7N7 or H3N2 had fewer dendritic spines on the
hippocampus cells, which correlates to the memory task because the hippocampus
is involved in memory. After the 120 day period, memory problems were gone.
However, 120 days for mice is roughly equivalent to 10 years for humans. Although
it’s hard to say to what extent this study can be applied to humans, it does
raise concern on the effect of the flu on human memory.
Everyone’s
aware of the typical symptoms of the flu, but this study shines a light on how
much we don’t know on the effects of the flu. This study suggests that human
memory can be impaired due to the flu. The effects are more severe than I
thought. Although getting yearly flu vaccinations may seem like a nuisance, it
is definitely worth it. So, if you haven’t gotten the flu yet, definitely remember
to get flu vaccination before it’s too late!
Article Referenced:
Article Referenced:
S. Hosseini et al. Long-term
neuroinflammation induced by influenza A virus infection and the impact on
hippocampal neuron morphology and function. Journal of Neuroscience.
Published online February 26, 2018. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1740-17.2018.
Posted by: Angelina Weng (3)
Wow, this article was really an eye-opener! Usually most people, including myself, opt out of receiving the flu shot thinking, getting the flu would be annoying, but it would be gone in a week and everything would be fine after that. I think we tend to forget that all of the systems in our body are connected, and if one system is affected, there is a high likelihood that others will be too. This article specifically raised concern because I had no idea that something such as your memory would be affected! Did you come across any other articles in your research to see what else is affected? The results from this study has raised red flags so I’ll be sure to get my flu shot from now on!
ReplyDelete-Kamilla Leao (2)
I heard that the flu shot didn't prevent many people from getting the vaccine this year, and it seems to be that way as so many people got it this year. I also opted out of the flu shot this year and did not have the flu. It is scary to think about how certain strands can cause detrimental effects in those mice - not good for humans if this memory loss applies to us as well!
ReplyDelete-- Hannah Kullberg (2)
It's unfortunate that the flu vaccination isn't a guarantee that you will be immune to the flu. I know a couple of people who have received the flu vaccination in the past and has gotten the flu regardless. Although it's not a guarantee, it's still a step towards prevention and considering this article, I think we should take as many precautions available.
DeleteAngelina Weng (3)
Most years I opt out of getting the flu shot, but this year I had to get it for my job. After reading this, I'm glad I did as this flu season was particularly bad! In this study, did they look at the effects of administering a vaccination to any of the mice? I mean to ask, does the vaccination have any affect on memory, even if they are significantly decreased as compared to actually contracting the virus? I would be interested to see a study done on any memory loss in humans that have contracted the virus vs. humans that have gotten the vaccine. Thank you for sharing this article and raising awareness!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever gotten a flu shot until this semester's outbreak on campus. I actually got the flu, but from my 19 years I don't think I've ever had one. I was never scared of getting the flu, but after experiencing it, I'm definitely going to take precautions now. I'm not that surprised that the flu strains could affect one's memory because when you're sick, your body does go through a lot. Your body is hurting. You heal and recover, but you still experience the effects and usually people don't really see the effects that linger. What were your thoughts on the flu before this article?
ReplyDelete-Catherine Tsang (3)
Before reading this article, I wasn't too concerned about the flu. I regarded it as a worst form of a cold, even though I shouldn't have. I've never gotten the flu, so I haven't experienced it and have only heard stories from people who have gotten the flu. It's definitely a serious thing to consider, because the virus is always developing and it's difficult to know the effects of each strain. After reading the article, I'm definitely taking the flu more seriously and will be more proactive about getting my vaccination each year.
DeleteAngelina Weng (3)