More and more Americans are opting out of Swine Flu immunizations for themselves and their kids.  Is this smart?  I don't know.

I do know, however, that every time a foreign substance is introduced into the human body, there is a chance for an adverse reaction.  Just take a look at the printed material accompanying any prescription or over-the-counter medicine and you will encounter a long list of possible reactions that might occur in a small percentage of those who utilize the product.  Even common every-day aspirin carries a warning that would frighten most people.

Interestingly enough, many unregulated substances that untold numbers of folks ingest daily also present stark possibilities of ill effects but we use them anyway.  Nicotine, alcohol, sugar, salt, illegal drugs are among these everyday items that come to mind.

I suspect that many parents, who are not allowing the Swine Flu vaccine to be administered to their children, are guilty of the use of one or more of those substances mentioned above.  And surely, they take numerous unregulated medicines from time to time that carry just as scary a message as all vaccines.  So what's a parent to do?  Once again, I don't know.

I can say as a parent of three grown sons, my wife and I took advantage of every ounce of preventative medicine available for our kids and ourselves.  My boys are all healthy in adulthood but we will never know what could have befallen them had we not allowed the benefit of the various pre-emptive medicines as well as those used to treat whatever illness came their way.

All of the treatments we receive carry some small possibility of ill effect.  I suspect that whenever there is an adverse reaction, a combination of other health issues might also share the blame in the majority of cases.

Taking medicine of any sort is an individual decision we each must make. I always read the possible reactions on any new prescription I get from the doctor.  And I must admit there have been occasions when I decided the risk was not worth taking.  But, that has been a very, very rare occurrence.

I have taken the regular flu shot each year since the early 1950s.  I had never heard of flu vaccine until I was in the US Army.  In fact, I had never heard of numerous vaccinations but we soldiers were given dozens.   We had no choice.  Our bodies belonged to the military and we were required to submit to whatever health decisions that were made by our superiors.

We may find some of this same rationale in federally administrated health plans.  Those who will fall under a federal mandated program may find themselves required to submit to someone else's proclamations concerning personal health issues or be kicked out of the program.

And if you want a harbinger of how things will be run under federal control, just take a look at the fiasco the federal health folks have initiated with the current Swine Flu vaccine.  The feds tell us to get the shot but in most instances, the shot is not available and won't be until well into the flu season.  How's that for the federal government looking after our health?

I had not had the flu of any sort in well over fifty years until two years ago.  Even though we had taken the annual flu shot, my wife and I caught it anyway.  She wound up in the hospital and I suffered at home for about a week.  But the following year and this year, too, we were among the first in line to get the flu shot.  No one ever told us the vaccine was l00 percent effective but the odds are always in our favor.

The first flu shot I received in the Army was administered in typical bureaucratic fashion.  Our whole company of 100 men were lined up outside the dispensary and told to strip to our waists.  It was a cold December day and a few snow flakes were brushing against our bare upper bodies.  Of course, unless you were first in line, you stood for more than a half hour in the bone-chilling cold air. The Army never noticed the irony.

As another bureaucratic practice to keep us healthy, the barrack windows were nailed open for six inches on each side.  The theory was that circulating air prevented the flu and other diseases.  I don't know how many cases of pneumonia were reported but, by golly, we didn't get the flu.

Later when I owned and managed several commercial ventures, I arranged for all of my employees to get free flu shots.  The cost savings for the companies were enormous because we had very few folks out sick with the flu.

In order to “encourage” everyone to take advantage of the free shots, I handed out “validations of sick leave” to each person as they received the vaccine. This validation ensured that sick leave for all illnesses would be honored by the company.

We always had 100 percent participation but my policy is probably illegal today.

John Brock is a retired college professor and, newspaper editor/publisher, who lives in Georgetown County.  He can be reached by mail at this newspaper, or by e-mail at brock@johnbrock.com