Flu Shot....yes or No??

I have had 2 doctors tell us not to vaccinate for this flu, that they weren't even giving the shots to their families. They said it was basically a "cold on steroids." Unless you fall into the high risk category, it's pretty unecessary. My kids had this flu last month and it wasn't that big of a deal.

Hi Tracy,
My husband and I have always received our flu shots (regular season flu, not swine flu) for many years and we feel that's why we haven't had the flu in so many years that I can't count!!

For our little boy (now 2 1/2 years old), we have always had him get the flu vaccine, too, although I make sure that his is "preservative-free" or "thimerosol (sp?)- free". Our pediatrician in Austin ONLY gives her patients these types of shots.

You need to ask your pediatrician if this is the case for his / her practice. The flu shot is one of the few remaining vaccines (perhaps the ONLY one) that can still contain thimerosol as a preservative, which has MERCURY in it!! So, it has to be specifically ordered as preservative free...

Although you didn't ask about the swine flu vaccine, I can tell you what our pediatrician said to us. She said that when it comes in, she will review what's in it and recommend to us whether or not it would be a good idea to give it to our toddler (or ourselves). She wants to review the ingredients to ensure there's no toxic substances in them, which are often used as preservatives.

I hope this helps!
D.

I can't answer for your child, but I had an appointment yesterday with a well-known, well-respected neurologist and one of my questions was whether or not I should take the swine flu shot. He told me that he could not recommend it and advised me not to take it. (He is not taking it either.) His reasons were that it has not been tested enough, the testing done was without the adjuvants that will be included in the shots we receive, the adjuvants are known to cause neurological and autoimmune disorders, the symptoms of which often may not appear for years but have life-long consequences.

You only have to watch the news report to know that not everyone agrees with his viewpoint. My advice is to research for yourself and then discuss with your pediatrician whether or not this is right for your child. You should have your doctor address any concerns that you find during your research and explain to you why you should not be worried.

It's a tough decision and certainly the consequences can be broad and far reaching either way. Do not depend on media hype. Do your research - ask questions - then make the best decision you can given the information you have.

I beleive the flue shots is very important for all kids especially under 6 years old and this is the openion or several Doctors that I have asked.

The flu shot is full of poison. Go to mercola.com it is a medical doctors web site. Read what he has to say. Do your own research and then decide. I also work with kids at a school over 100 kids. All of them got a flu shot two weeks ago and now almost the entire campus is sick with the flu and at least one confirmed case of h1n1. Years ago I used to get the flu shot and ended up very very sick. I will never get one again and certainly won't give on to my child. Besides children need to build up a natural immune system. This can't happen if they are being vaccinated all the time. But most importantly don't listen to me check out mercola.com and conduct your own research. Good luck to you .

Not only am I going to be sure she gets the H1N1 vaccine (in mist form), but I'm desperately trying to find a doctor in Austin who actually has it. I have a separate query posted asking if anyone's pediatrician has received their H1N1 vaccine supply yet. Our daughter was undervaccinated, an oversight of our pediatrician last year. Because she did not receive HiB or Prevnar, vaccines that combat bacterial infections, among them meningitis, she would up with chronic sinusitis and had to have her adenoids removed. She had the standard flu vaccine last year (she is 3-1/2) and, thankfully, didn't get flu! There is no reputable medical evidence tying vaccines of any kind to autism, despite what Jenny McCarthy may say. ConsumerReports has released very helpful and responsible information, specifically, on the H1N1 vaccine and the New York Times did a great Q&A for parents in yesterday's paper, which you can find online (http://www.nytimes.com). It wasn't so long ago that people died of polio. What stopped that? A vaccine. Good luck!

We gave our 2 yr old son the flu shot last year and this year. I am 38 weeks pregnant and also got the shot. Neither of us had any adverse reaction to the shot and were highly encouraged by his pediatrician and my OBGYN to get the shot. Something of note is that my son has never had an adverse reactions to any of the vaccines he has received.

Having said that we are not as eager to get the H1N1 shot because of the reasons cited above. We don't feel there has been enough testing done and what happened in 1976 when there was a shot for the swine flu given is that some people developed GBS which cause paralyzes.

Tracy - Please watch this short clip from FOX news, then forward to family & friends. It is a doctor stating that he would NOT give his children the flu shot and the reasons why. Also, please note that with the overuse of the flu vaccine the viruses are more likely to mutate into a more deadly strain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1z7KSEnyxw&feature=pl...

In response to your request for opinions about the flu shot (not H1N1) my children have been vaccinated each year. My kids are seven and nine. They have had no negative reactions or side effects. The shot was recommended by their pediatrician in Austin (a long time family friend) as well as a pediatrician in another state where we lived for a short time. My kids never had the flu until this year. When I took my nine year old to the doctor to get her flu shot the doctor's office was so full of sick children there was no where to go to not get infected. She became ill the next day and missed three days of school with a fever, coughing, etc. The sickness was not caused by the flu vaccine, but by the sick children in the doctor's office who were sitting in the "well child area" because there was no where else to sit. My seven year old had received her flu shot two weeks earlier and never got sick even though she slept in the same room, played games, and ate meals with her sick sister. The flu shot protected my seven year old because she received it early, but did not help my nine year old because she was exposed to the flu before the shot had an opportunity to protect her.
In response to the question you did not ask about H1N1, my major concern moving forward in considering this vaccine is that it would have to be administered in a doctor's office that will most likely be filled with sick children. I will consider H1N1 if my pediatrician (whom I trust and who knows my kids medical history)recommends it. I selected the pediatrician because I know and respect her. She has been with my kids since the day they were born. I have watched her raise her own children. She is the best person to provide medical advice for my kids. The reports we see on TV are sensationalized for entertainment purposes. For each report that is presented against the H1N1 vaccine, there are numerous reports in support of the vaccine that may or may not be shown based on if it tells the story the reporter wants to present. TV/magazine/internet reports are not where I get my medical advice. The opinions of moms on Mamasource is helpful, but you should really work with a trusted medical professional to make your decision. Maybe you can contact your previous pediatrician who you had a longer history with to get their opionion on whether or not to get your son vaccinated against H1N1.
On a side note, I will most likely go somewhere other than the doctor's office if I decide to get my kids vaccinated for H1N1, because I am concerned about sick children infecting my kids in a doctor's office.

Before doing anything, I please do a bit of research. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny has focused on vaccinations and has literature, books and DVDs to help you understand vaccinations and their history. For the flu shot, http://drtenpenny.com/the_truth_about_the_flu_Shot.aspx.
I wish you well. Lorraine