Should Christians Get Flu Shots?
That is entirely up to you – God will not be upset with you either way.
Vaccinations, including flu shots, are not covered by Scripture, so it would not be right to create doctrine when the Bible is silent.
The only Scriptures that would even come close to touching on the issue are (1) The ones in which Jesus said that the sick need a physician, not that those who are trying to avoid getting sick need a physician (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31), (2) The ones that stress obedience to local authorities (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-15, Titus 3:1)—if you are REQUIRED to get a flu shot because of where you work, you need to go ahead and get one or leave your job and (3) Paul’s pre-emptive advice to Timothy to change what he drank to avoid getting sick in the first place (1 Timothy 5:23). It is not wrong to take natural steps to avoid illnesses when you can do so.
Some Christians may just avoid the expense and possible side-effects of a flu shot and reason that if they are attacked, they will run the flu off by faith. Not many Christians today are in a position to do that, but I hope that this book helps more of them get there.
Some Christians may go ahead with the flu shot, reasoning that they have done their part in the natural to avoid getting some new bug that is making the rounds. However, flu shots are NOT always effective, so you are putting your trust in something that MIGHT work as opposed to the Word that ALWAYS works. But I would not have a problem with getting a flu shot as long as you are still planning to make a stand of faith if you feel like the flu is attacking you.
Some Christians will go a third route and head for the natural health store for something with a name like FluGuardian, which could be a new concoction of garlic, raw onion, habanero peppers and Limburger cheese that claims to be a deterrent to getting the flu. (Its label hints that it works by strengthening your immune system, though its actual deterrent value may consist of making sure that no one with the flu would want to get within ten feet of you.)
On topics not specifically addressed by Scripture, we need to accept and love those who take the opposite position we do. This thought is brought out more in the article below.
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