News 11

The Dalai Lama shares wisdom with BC youth

Andrew Soltis
Contributor

n October 21, John Oliver Secondary

School was blessed to have had a special
guest. This particular guest is perhaps one
of the most revered, respecte, and good-
humoured figures in the entire world. His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso,
ventured to the Vancouver high school in
order to participate in a panelist dialogue
regarding BC education. The student body
earned a visit from His Holiness because
they have displayed notable ameliorations in
relation to scholarly conduct in recent years.

The event was titled the Heart-Mind Youth
Dialogue, and was organized by Vancouver’s
Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education.
The majority of the panelists who took

part in the discussion were accomplished

senior level high school students. Hannah
Bryant, a recent graduate of Charles

Hays Secondary School, in Prince Rupert,
represented the north and the Tsimshian

Flu vaccination at UNBC

Quinn Gentles
Contributor | Northern Medical Program

n November 3, the flu shot will become
Oivaisble here in Northern BC. I’m here
to make the case that getting vaccinated
against influenza is important. The flu isn’t
just about you.

Most people have had the flu more than
once. The flu is a viral infection caused by
influenza. This virus is highly contagious,
and each year new strains and versions
emerge--meaning that even if you were
infected or received a vaccine in the past,
you are still at risk for getting the flu
again. For most healthy young people,
the flu isn't the end of the world. You get
sick, you get better, you forget about it.

Not everyone is so lucky.

According to Immunize BC, the flu can

lead to significant health complications
and even death. This is particularly
true for children, the elderly, those
who are immunocompromised, and
pregnant women. Even if you don’t
have any symptoms of the flu, you can
still spread the infection to vulnerable
populations without even knowing it.

So if you can save yourself the pain of
getting the flu, the risk of missing out on
your activities, and help protect those
who are at risk for severe flu infections,
why don’t more people get the vaccine?

A large part of it has to do with some
common misconceptions about the
flu shot. Let’s take a moment to
explore three common myths:

1. You can get the flu from the flu shot.
FALSE: the traditional flu shot contains
inactivated virus, meaning it has been killed
or rendered non-infectious. Therefore,

TVC News

Nation with honour and eloquence.

Each student panelist had an opportunity
to ask His Holiness a question regarding

important matters of life. Many of the
questions related to the importance of
familial influence and how it relates to
academic discipline as well as morals and
ethics. His Holiness discussed the important
role his mother played in his upbringing,
and his understanding of compassion.

In addition to sharing his wisdom with the
audience, there were several moments during
the event that the Dalai Lama displayed his
famous sense of humour. The entire audience
were in awe of his presence, while his
peaceful and good-humoured aura seemed to
reverberate throughout the entire building.

The event left me feeling inspired and
hopeful for the future of education in

BC. I would like to express my deepest
gratitude towards the Dalai Lama Center’s
communications team for having

invited me to chronicle the event.

FLU:

IT’S NOT JUST
ABOUT YOU

influenza and half a million deaths.

you cannot get the flu from the vaccine.

2. The vaccine doesn’t work. FALSE: although
the vaccine cannot protect you from all
strains of influenza, it does protect 70%

of those vaccinated against the three

most likely strains of that season.

3.The flu isn't a big deal, so its not worth
getting vaccinated. FALSE: each year, there
are over 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500
deaths in Canada due to the flu. Globally,
this translates to over 1 billion cases of

The bottom line is this: even if you are not
worried about what the flu could do to you,
you should be worried about what the flu
does do to our communities each year. If

not for yourself, then for all those who can’t
protect themselves, get vaccinated. A poke in
your arm could literally save someone’s life.

The flu is not just about you, so remember
to get vaccinated starting November 3!