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Baffled  

post #1 of 10
12/12/08 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 
Either I'm losing my mind or a friend of h's doctor has convinced her of something bizarre.

He just told me that his friend's 10 year old ds has to have the flu shot every year because he has diabetes.:

There is no evidence for this, right?
post #2 of 10
12/13/08 at 1:16am
Right!

Plus his diabetes was probably caused by the vaccines.

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?Id=2984

I is the fasted growing disease in children and the onset is younger and younger.
post #3 of 10
12/13/08 at 11:52am
No there is no evidence but I know why the doc said that.....
During the flu, a child may be throwing up or have no appetite and it makes it difficult to keep their blood sugar levels stable....that is the reasoning but still a bad idea IMO!
post #4 of 10
12/13/08 at 1:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marnica View Post
No there is no evidence but I know why the doc said that.....
During the flu, a child may be throwing up or have no appetite and it makes it difficult to keep their blood sugar levels stable....that is the reasoning but still a bad idea IMO!
But that's the stomach flu not the flu in the vaccine!
post #5 of 10
12/13/08 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sileree View Post
But that's the stomach flu not the flu in the vaccine!

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm

Vomiting is often a symptom of the flu...especially in kids. Whenever I get the flu I barf too!
post #6 of 10
12/14/08 at 6:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marnica View Post
Vomiting is often a symptom of the flu...especially in kids.
I didn't see the word "often" in your link:
Quote:
Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:
Influenza (that the vax is for) causes more often upper respiratory symptoms.

"Stomach virus" is usually the virus associated with "barfing" and diarrhea.

It's difficult to know what is causing your "barfing" unless you've gone in and had your syptoms tested everytime.
post #7 of 10
12/14/08 at 6:16pm
The stomach flu is usually a strain of rotavirus.
post #8 of 10
12/14/08 at 6:24pm
OK, I can sort of understand the reasoning this way:

Kids with diabetes are generally not as strong as kids without diabetes, and may be more prone to any kind of infection. Therefore, recomending a shot to prevent a specific, potentially serious infection makes sense.

That said, I don't support the flu vax for ANYBODY because I'm not convinced it's safe and I'm not convinced it's effective. DS' ped wanted him to get the flu vax this year because he had pneumonia (and ITA with her that he's more vulnerable right now) but I declined the shot- I just don't feel the (real) risks are worth the (potential) benefits, and I'm doing other things to boost his immunity right now.
post #9 of 10
12/14/08 at 7:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post
Kids with diabetes are generally not as strong as kids without diabetes, and may be more prone to any kind of infection. Therefore, recomending a shot to prevent a specific, potentially serious infection makes sense.
Not to me! If a child is not as strong, I certainly don't want to inject that child with anything since it will have to immediately set out to rid the body of those chemicals and thereby weaken the immune system making the child more vulnerable to infections. jmho
post #10 of 10
12/15/08 at 12:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthla View Post
Kids with diabetes are generally not as strong as kids without diabetes, and may be more prone to any kind of infection. Therefore, recomending a shot to prevent a specific, potentially serious infection makes sense.
Speaking as the parent of a T1 diabetic ... Yes, diabetes can make people more susceptible to viral infections, but I disagree with the first part of your statement. Just b/c my DD's immune system went haywire one time and attacked her pancreas doesn't mean that it isn't strong, in general. She's a pretty healthy kid, otherwise.

DD actually weathered a bout of flu about a month after her dx - and yes, it was very difficult to maintain normal blood sugar levels, as she was dehydrated from fever AND puking as well. But we managed - and during an extended power outage too, I might add. Now that she's on an insulin pump, it's much easier to manage her bgl during illness, by simply making temporary adjustments to her basal insulin rates.

I've found it interesting that, while her (former) ped insisted that DD should have a flu vax, her endocrinologist has never even mentioned the subject.
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