Yes or No on the Flu Shot?

I follow my son's Pediatrician's advice and he's had the flu shot since he was old enough to get one. I also get the shot every year. This year especially since I'm pregnant.

Before 3 years old, my son had the non-preservative type flu shot that we had to request.

Hi J.! I would get the shot only because I had this years flu and it was horrible. I had throwing up, nausea, and diarrea for 5 days. I am told by many who have had it this year that they all thought they had food poisoning. I lost 4 pounds because everything I ate made me sick. I am so happy that my kids didn't get it because this would have been a terrible thing to have to help them get through. If it was that bad for me I can't imagine how bad a child would feel with it. Good luck!

hello
I have to agree with sheralyn. I spent 8 years working in hospitals and nursing homes. I never had the shot. nor the flu.
I am a mother of four. and they have not had them either.
your basic universal percausions do work well if used consistanty. repitiion with your little one will help build good habits for her as well. hand washing , use papertowles at public bathrooms to turn off the sink and open doors, sneezing in your sleve if you dont have tissue ready, hand sanitizer if you choose in between. just old fasion soap and water is best. have a great new year

After talking to my chiropractor, I am considering not giving my child any vaccinations including the flu shot. It seems to do more harm than good. I am finding through experience that medications are not as necessary as we think, and if your child was to get sick, a good adjustment will help his immune fight it off. My daughter is 14 weeks, and has been adjusted about 4 times. I recently got sick, and after an adjustment I was on my way to recovery feeling better within the hour. My daughter never got it. The chiropractor also explained to me that by the time you are feeling symtoms... Scratchy throat etc. you are already on the way to recovery. and next time your immune system will be ready and won't get sick as easily. Here are some websites you can check out to make an informed decision.

909shot.com
icpa4kids.org

-A.

Our daughter and myself have already received flu shots and my husband should go soon. I work in a building with 3000 other people and will not take the chance to bring it home. My daughter goes to daycare and there could also be the chance that someone else drops off a child that is a carrier. Even if the shot can not protect us from all strains, it is better than to be out there all on your own. The flu and other diseases that we can be vaccinated against I think are being underestimated because they are not as prevalent anymore (because of the vaccinations). Without the vaccines we all would know families who lost a member due to flu etc. I opt to not take that risk for my family.
Hope this helps!

Yes. We didn't get our daughters flu shots last year and Lina (the oldest) ended up in the hospital December 22-24. She had seizures (clusters and grand mal) from having a very high fever. I know this year we won't take that chance again.

NO NO NO!!! There is no reason your childs body cannot fight off a flu bug and if there is you have more than the flu to worry about...

We will not be giving our daughter the flu shot.
But I should add that we did not even start vaccines until she was 2, and I am opting out of many of the recommended shots.

Hi J.,

The article you read was about Tamiflu, not the flu shot.

However, I decided NOT to get flu shots for anyone in my family. I believe we are over vaccinated in this country and the flu is only dangerous for people with compromised immune systems. The Flu shot is not a guarantee against getting the flu because they have no idea what flus will be coming through any given year. To me it is a waste of money, time and resources as well as something you don't need to introduce into your body unless you are a very sick person that would possibly die from getting the flu.

There's my two cents... hope it helps

Hey Jenifer!
Last year my dayughter got the flu shot and got sick with the flu. This year I decided not to get the flu shot and so far she has not got sick. So I don't think it would be to bad if you didn't take the kids to get it. The choice is your own, if you feel you should then just do it.
V.

I opted to give my daughter a flu shot. I asked the nurse if they had the preservative free vaccine, they did, and I chose that one instead. Having the option to go preservative free made it a no brainer for me to get her a flu shot. Even though there are many strains floating around and the vaccine only protects against one strain, the one thought to be most prevalent that year, better safe than sorry. One less strain to worry about is better than none.

Never have and won't, unless my kids' health drastically changes. If you opt to, be sure they kid a KIDS flu shot. Because it's in short demand, some practitioners give kid-sized doses of the adult shot, which can contain the preservatives you want to avoid.

My kids are both in preschool now and we have one on the way in January. My two have never gotten the flu.

FLU VACCINES FOUND TO BE INEFFECTIVE FOR CHILDREN

Each year when flu season rolls around, we're reminded of the
importance of
getting annual flu shots, especially for high-risk groups like
children. We
take it for granted that it's the right thing to do . but is it? A
study in
the Journal of the American Medical Association (Oct. 25, 2006) says
yes,
while the recent conclusion of the Cochrane Collaboration - an
international, not-for-profit, independent body that critiques health
care
outcomes - concluded that there is little scientific evidence backing
the
safety or effectiveness of the inactivated influenza vaccine in
children
(British Medical Journal, October 28, 2006).

Calls for a Re-Evaluation of Annual Flu Shots

The Cochrane Collaboration called for a re-evaluation of the strategy
of
routinely promoting annual flu vaccinations in children as public
health
policy, noting that "large-scale studies assessing important outcomes
and
directly comparing vaccine types are urgently required." The National
Vaccine Information Center - a national, non-profit, educational
organization dedicated to the prevention of childhood vaccine injuries
and
deaths -- went even further. Given the Cochrane findings, along with
what it
considered to be methodological flaws in the JAMA study, the NVIC
called for
a halt on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommendation of annual influenza vaccinations for infants and
children --
at least until we have the scientific evidence to back them up.

To gain more perspective on the issues surrounding the influenza
vaccine, I
spoke with NVIC president Barbara Loe Fisher. She told me that there is
a
huge gap between the scientific research on the influenza vaccine and
government policies on it. Fisher cites concerns such as methodological
flaws in studies, safety considerations (i.e., adverse events due to
vaccination) and the relative lack of effectiveness of the vaccines.

About the Studies

The JAMA study, which was conducted at Kaiser Permanente in California
and
funded by the CDC, looked at the medical records of children 6 to 23
months
old who received the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (a vaccine
containing dead flu viruses) as well as other vaccines between 1991 and
2003
(45,356 children with 69,359 vaccinations). As such, it was a
non-randomized, retrospective analysis, rather than a more rigorous
randomized, placebo-controlled trial. There were no unvaccinated
controls.

After examining children's medical records, researchers concluded that
the
influenza vaccine in children 6 to 23 months is associated with few
medical
problems, "none of which were serious" or "significantly associated
with the
vaccine." Fisher was concerned, however, that adverse events due to the
vaccine slipped through the cracks. She notes that cases of convulsions
and
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a rare neurological disease characterized by
loss
of reflexes and temporary paralysis) were written off as coincidental
or
attributed to other vaccines. Fisher adds that nine of the nineteen
Kaiser
Permanente and CDC study authors reported financial ties to influenza
vaccine manufacturers, and all received CDC funding. Although this does
not
necessarily mean that they were biased, it is a potential conflict of
interest that raises red flags.

The Cochrane Collaboration's analysis of flu vaccine studies reached a
very
different conclusion, pointing out the significant gap between public
health
policy and scientific evidence. Surprise was registered that there was
only
one study of inactivated flu vaccine in children under two years, given
the
recent US recommendation for vaccination of all healthy children from
six
months to two years old. Moreover, in children under two, the Cochrane
Collaboration found that the effectiveness of inactivated vaccine was
similar to placebo. It was impossible to carry out safety comparisons,
because of the lack of rigorous, standardized, randomized,
placebo-controlled studies.

According to the Cochrane Collaboration, the influenza vaccine did not
fare
much better with adults. In an analysis of flu shots in healthy people
under
65, there was no evidence that the vaccines had an impact on measurable
factors such as time off work, hospital stays or mortality (death
resulting
from the flu or its complications). In the elderly, the results were so
scattered that they were termed "both counterintuitive and
implausible."

Further Research Is Necessary

Clearly more research is necessary to come up with good, solid answers
about
the safety and effectiveness of influenza vaccines. Mark Stengler, ND,
editor of Bottom Line's Natural Healing newsletter, likewise expresses
concern that the flu vaccine, especially in regard to children, has no
long-term studies to back it up. He worries that side effects such as
neurological damage have not been properly assessed. In Dr. Stengler's
view,
it seems only prudent to conduct more thorough research on the flu
vaccine
for children, whose maturing organ systems are more prone to damage.

Whatever decision you come to regarding flu shots, keep in mind that
there
are also many natural ways to avoid infection (wash hands, avoid
exposure to
infected people, etc.) and enhance immunity during flu season. See the
XXX
issue of Daily Health News for tips on how to protect your family and
yourself.

Sources .

Barbara Loe Fisher, President, National Vaccine Information Center.
Mark Stengler, ND, editor of Bottom Line's Natural Healing newsletter
and
author of The Natural Physician's Healing Therapies (Bottom Line
Books). Dr.
Stengler practices naturopathic medicine at the La Jolla Whole Health
Clinic, La Jolla, California. To learn more about his work, visit
www.drstengler.com.
The Cochrane Collaboration, www.cochrane.org/
National Vaccine Information Center, www.nvic

First, ask your doctor whether the flu shot contains Thimerosal, which is essentially Mercury when metabolized in the body. He or she will say yes, as the flu shot is one of the few that still contains Thimerosal. Don't do it. Maybe adult bodies have no problem absorbing the mercury but little developing bodies have less defenses. It's devastating what these toxins can do to our kids.

Hey J.,
The choice is a personal one. In our family everyone but my husband gets it. My husband has only been sick twice in the 9 years we've been married. Me and my oldest child have severe Asthma and the flu would make us very ill. My next youngest has her daddy's immune system, and my twins were preemies and 1 is partially deaf and the other has cerebral palsy and for them the illness could be really bad.
My recommendation would be to talk to your trusted pediatrician and do as recommended. The usual precautions are always best - wash hands a LOT, etc.
Good Luck with whatever you decide!!

hi J.
i have a 2 and 4 yr old they have recieved a flu shot every year just to be safe to many kids have died from the flu and i'm not about to take that chance. they will both get one this year too.
if you doubt anything just talk to your dr you can always go to webmd.com
char

I saw this story on the news yesterday. It is NOT the flu shot that they are saying caused these crazy reactions in kids in China. It is the flu treatment, given AFTER the child has gotten all the flu symptoms. The shot is completely safe and has been tested over many years. It is definatly better to have a bit of a sore arm than to have a child suffer through the flu and maybe even die from it. It can be prevented!

Someone in a previous answer correctly pointed out that the flu kills 35,000 people a year. People most likely to die are the very young and the very old, and people with other health issues. The flu shot protects against specific strains of the flu. If you get the flu you won't get it as long or as bad.

We've been getting flu shots every year it's been offered. Only last year, my husband couldn't. My husband and I and my youngest ended up getting the flu, and it was awful. But we were out of bed within two days and back to normal within a week. Normally it takes two weeks to recover. We had the high fever, the body aches, everything. They confirmed it was the flu in my youngest when he went to the hospital to get fluids. He got the IV fluids without being admitted and went home and was better the next day. My oldest son didn't get the flu at all. My husband was sick the longest.

We got the flu shot again this year.

I'm not clear on why you are leaning toward not giving them the flu shot? Is it because you are worried about potential reactions? It comes down to being your decision, of course, but I would opt to get the flu shot for them and yourselves for a few reasons. One, they both have exposure to other kids, whether it be a few or however many, it only takes one sick kid. Two, you two both work and have alot of people exposure, too, I assume. Therefore, you're probably more likely to pick it up versus someone who stays and/or works from home. Three, from what I understand from the doctor, little ones and elderly can experience much worse symptoms than adults. I have one 2 year old and am a stay at home mom, but my husband, me and daughter have all gotten the flu shot to try to keep ourselves protected. Until she is bigger, we'll probably go this route. Not sure if this is helpful, but I hope so. Good luck with your decision.

We don't have our kids get the flu shot (or any other vaccines) due to the dangers related to mercury, bovine, monkey and other tissues used to cultivate the vaccines. For a list of ingredients you can look at any Physician Desk Reference, or copy and paste this link to your browser: http://vaccinationnews.com/DailyNews/June2001/VaccineIngr...

Arizona is one of 48 "right-to-waiver" states which means that your kids DO NOT have to be vaccinated to attend school. You just need to ask the school nurse for the waiver. The flu shot contains the following:

Fluvirin
Influenza Virus Vaccine
Medeva Pharmaceuticals
1-888-MEDEVA
###-###-####
produced using embryonic fluid (chicken egg), neomycin, polymyxin,
thimerosal, betapropiolactone
medium: embryonic fluid (chicken egg)

FluShield
Influenza Virus Vaccine, Trivalent, Types A&B
Wyeth-Ayerst
1-800-934-5556
produced using gentamicin sulfate, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80,
tri(n)butylphosphate, thimerosal
medium: chick embryos

For more information, there are several great books you can find doing a search on vaccines at Amazon.com A great one is called, "A Shot in the Dark"

Our oldest son Alex (7 yo) has autism which we believe was caused by vaccines. Our other three children have never been vaccinated, and Alex never received any more after the incident. Your best defense against the flu is a healthy diet, a multi-vitamin, clean water, and washing hands regularly. The flu vaccines are not for the ever-changing strain of today, and not allowing the body to develop its own antibodies can be dangerous. Mother Nature knows us BEST ;)

Best of luck!

Hi J.,
I know what you mean. For the longest time I was really against the flu shot. I have 3 kids and do not like anything extra in their little system. However, when they do get sick it becomes a respiratory issue and there are hospital trips and midnight breathing issues. So finally we all got it. That was 3 years ago. Ever since we get flu shots we have never gotten the flu or too sick during the winter months. We will get it again this year. HOpe this helps.

J.

About 2 yrs ago in Colorado, several children died from the flu (a certain strain) that seem to strike very quickly, (they were fine one day and dead the next). My son, age 2, woke up from a nap, burning up with 104 temp, crying, unconsolable, not wanting a bottle or anything. I took him to to the emergency room on a Saturday night, and was told it was the strain that the other children were dying from, and if I had waited much longer he might have died too. I was given the a perscription for the Tamaflu (an anti-viral drug that is given after the flu hits) and was told to get it in him as soon as possible and not to leave him alone that night and to bring him back a fast as possible if needed. There was a story about Tamaflu in the news yesterday, some children in Japan was acting strange after take it, but I'm thing it is a bad batch. Anyway, yes we will all get the flu shot after that, my husband is in the high risk group that is told to get it because he has astma, and diabetes. Usually it is those that have other cronic health problem, the old, and the young that have the weakest immune systems that are most at risk, and the flu kills 35,000 a year. You might feel a little yucky for a few days but I think this is better than the other choice.

I have not yet, but I definitely plan on getting her the flu shot. It's too scary not to!

That article you mention on MSN was about the drug Tamiflu, not the flu shot. And while the possibility of psychological reactions is scary indeed, those 100 cases were out of about 30 million prescriptions so it's actually not a very high liklihood of having that reaction. And that is NOT the flu shot, that's just that one particular drug. Also while there might be small risks associated with the flu shot, there is a much greater liklihood of getting the flu and having serious complications (especially for young kids and the elderly) from it than from the shot. But it's an individual decision you have to make for your family--my husband and I have opted to get the flu shot ourselves but don't have the kids get it. We just practice diligent handwashing--which is essential to prevent most illnesses, not just the flu.

No one in our family of 5 received a flu shot, and we are all just fine. I'm not sure why I didnt do it, but I didn't feel that is was super necessary! But, that's just me.

I opted not to get my child the flu shot. I have no regrets regarding this decision. In fact, it's not just my child that doesn't get it - it's my whole family. I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant, and I still made the decision not to get it. I haven't had a flu shot in 9 years. And it's been 8 years since I've been hospitalised for any illness. It used to be a yearly occurence for me to end up in the hospital. Coincidence? I think not. My daughter's pediatrician doesn't even believe in the flu shot - it's an estimated guess of which 3 strains they think are likely to "hit" that year. And it's only accurate 33% of the time. Not good enough statistics for me to innoculate my child or anyone I love unnecessarily. I agree with the stance that we are an (unnecessarily) overly-immunized society.