Good luck turning on the TV or visiting any vaguely news-related website without being bombarded about the latest conflicting swine flu reports. Get the vaccine! Don't get the vaccine! If you have flu-like symptoms, get to the emergency room! If you have flu-like symptoms, get to the designated H1N1 clinic! The message changes not just day to day, but hourly. I'm so confused I don't know what to do--I don't even know what the symptoms of swine flu are! And I don't think I'm the only one feeling this way.

I'm not an advocate of the flu shot under normal circumstances. I've never had one, and I'm from the school of "let your body fight it off" unless you fall into a high-risk category (people with compromised immune systems, the very young and the very elderly, those who work in health care, etc). I hate visiting the doctor and I prefer not to take any medication unless I'm really suffering. Even if I have a headache I'll try drinking some water or something with caffeine before taking an Advil.

But all the hype around swine flu definitely has me thinking about it more than I normally would. I'm still leaning towards not getting the vaccine and instead am trying to be extra diligent about washing my hands, avoiding touching surfaces that seem like they might be germy, keeping my hands away from my face, and so on, in hopes that those measures will be enough to help avoid catching H1N1. My gut instinct tells me not to worry, and my initial feeling--that swine flu was blown out of proportion to create a ton of panic--still holds true.

Still, there's a little bit of me that questions whether getting the vaccine would be a good idea. There's a niggling doubt that I'm putting myself in danger by not getting vaccinated. I tell that little voice to shut up, but it's hard to ignore.

For now, I choose to forgo the vaccine and see what happens, acknowledging the fact that it could be the stupidest choice I ever make. I just don't feel that there's enough solid backing on either side of the debate to make the decision clear for someone in my position--young, healthy, not pregnant. There are so many conflicting reports and stories and recommendations that for me, it makes the most sense to not inject myself with a vaccine with possible unknown side effects down the road. So instead I choose to risk catching a potentially deadly disease.

The different ways information is portrayed in the media, and the ways people process and react to that information, is fascinating to see. I'm curious to read reports once the flu season is over about what percentage of the population did get vaccinated.

If I survive flu season!

Where's my hand sanitizer and vitamin C?