flu shot poll - Page 2

[onlyzombiecat]

We don't get flu shots.

We are all pretty healthy and I don't feel it is necessary for our family to get flu shots.

We did get sick last week but all recovered quickly.

[CleoS]

Thanks ladies, I meant "Any advice?" but typed it wrong. Anyway, I think my own anxiety along with the fear mongering on the news gets to me. I did make an appointment tomorrow a.m. for the 3 kids but of course I am second guessing and may cancel.  I am still on the fence. Wish I was more decisive!! 

[emmy526]

Don't use this:

[mamahawk]

No, we have never done flu shots and will not start now.  I started reconsidering after hearing all the recent media reports, but now feel comfortable with our decision despite it being a bad flu season.  We are a pretty healthy family, and none of us has ever gotten the flu (not even me, as a health care worker, being unvaccinated and being exposed to flu many, many times).  I am fully aware that this could be 'the year' one (or all) of us gets sick, but I'll throw my lot in with mother nature and our bodies' amazing defense system, rather than with big pharma.  

Because I work at a hospital, and refused the flu vaccine,  I have to wear a mask when I walk through the hospital (I can take it off once I'm in the laboratory, where I work).  It's ridiculous, but I do it without complaint.  I've refused the vaccine every year, and I probably take the fewest sick days out of everyone else (I am the only one who refuses the vaccine).  By all statistics, at least half of my vaccinated co-workers are just as 'vulnerable' as I am, being completely unvaccinated.  Also, the efficacy of masks preventing flu is questionable-  There is no good evidence showing that wearing one can prevent transmission...  

Just my little rant there, a little off-topic 

Best defense in my opinion is to eat well, get plenty of sleep, wash your hands, and just be vigilant of your surroundings-  keep kids home if there is a flu outbreak at school, etc. 

[Rrrrrachel]

Apparently (according to an interview on the Diane rheem show I heard) this isn't really that bad of aflu season, or at least they said it wasn't a severe flu season. I thought that was interesting.

[Rrrrrachel]

Here's the link, btw. You can read a transcript or listen to it. The guests were all pretty mainstream, but I think everyone can find something to agree with, there was a pretty diverse set of opinions.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-01-10/battle-against-flu?page=1

[C is for Cookie]

Due to the hype around here, I was rethinking my decision to get DS vaccinated. DBF's dad found an article on the internet that said that this is one of the worst flu outbreaks in history. He showed me the site and told me to get DS his flu shot. I agreed to disagree to avoid argument. DBF's dad went to DBF and talked about it with him too. I know he is just concerned and all but...it is the parents decision. DBF talked to me about it and we both kind of came to the conclusion that he won't get the flu shot. He is at home most of the time and we don't go anywhere (because we are broke college students) but it still scares me sometimes. I sometimes wonder if I am making the right decision. I, myself, will never get the flu shot. Never had the flu and *knock on wood* I hope I never will; why should I start taking the vaccine now?
 

[Rrrrrachel]

Dr. Michael Osterholm director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and director of the NIH-sponsored Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance; board member, National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity, in the link above, says the severity of this years flu vaccine is mostly hype.

"Well, first of all, pandemic events are ones that occurs when a new strain of influenza emerges and then leaves a large part of the population vulnerable to it. That's not the case this year. And I think even this year there's really been a misunderstanding of what's going on with influenza. Clearly, influenza, any year, even in a moderate year, can cause lots of illness and deaths and hospitalizations. But I think this year there's been a certain hype in the media about what's happened with it."

"And what I mean by that is we've seen these stories where we've seen these patients coming into medical care facilities around the country. But, you know, the idea that in Boston they went from 70 to 700 cases, they have four deaths and they've declared a public health emergency, a lot of that has to do with the fact that we have really taken out any excess capacity in our health care system. And so even when there's a slight bump in the road, we can quickly be overwhelmed."

"And we're also seeing, in some communities, another illness in young kids called RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, which is causing a number of hospitalizations. So I think that flu is obviously a very critical issue. I think this year we do have some real problems. But I don't think it's nearly as bad as what has been portrayed in the media. And most notably, if you look at our -- what we call pneumonia and influenza deaths in this country, we are not seeing it this time, a severe flu season."

Of course that's small comfort if you're one of the people who gets it!

[kathymuggle]

The flu season is half over, and the USA is sitting at 20 pediatric deaths.  http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/health/us-flu-season/index.html

Here is what the CDC has to say about pediatric deaths from influenza:

"Flu seasons vary in severity, however some children die from flu each year. From 2003-2004 to 2011-2012, pediatric deaths reported to CDC ranged from 46 to 153 per year. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, 348 pediatric deaths were reported to CDC from April 15, 2009 to October 2, 2010."

Given that the season is half over and we are only sitting at 20 pediatric deaths, I would speculate that we are not  heading towards a severe year.  I hope I don't eat my words.   It would be interesting to break it down by month and see if we are sitting at more or less deaths this many weeks into the flu season than in previous years.

[mariee]

Yes, absolutely.  The benefit of having the flu vaccine far outweighs the risk.

[A&A]

Dh, our kids, and I all got the flu shot this year.  We made sure to get the mercury-free (single dose vial) shot.

[Magali]

No we don't get the flu shot.  My poor husband is on his second round  of flu-like symptoms right now though.   I hope my kids don't get it because my dh is in so much pain.  I say flu like because he hasn't been seen by a Dr. either time, so we don't know for sure that it is the flu.  But damn it sucks.  It's not "no big deal". 

[nikelodeon79]

I got talked into the flu vaccine for my son, who was almost eighteen months at the time. He had a bad reaction to it (swelling and itching on his face, high fever, hives, swelling at the injection site). He does NOT have an egg allergy.

He ran a high fever for several weeks after the vaccination and has not been totally well since. He stopped eating, started becoming very irritable, and started having occasional vomiting, texture aversion, instability when walking, pale skin, and occasional fevers.

This past Wednesday, he had to have a blood transfusion due to extremely low hemoglobin, iron, protein, and albumin.

He has now developed severe behavioral issues including tantrums I refer to as meltdowns. He refuses to feed himself and is terrified of strangers. He developed a habit where he rubs the corners of his mouth with his thumbs.

After a barrage of tests ruling out physical causes (still waiting on the brain MRI scheduled for Monday), the doctors think he might have autism.

Can I say with any certainty that his issues were caused by the vaccine? Nope. But I can tell you one thing: he will NEVER get the flu vaccine again.

All the statistics and studies in the world mean NOTHING when something like this happens to your child.

[Turquesa]

Kathymuggle, Cochrane doesn't have much good to say for the flu shot for people with asthma.

[pek64]

Originally Posted by nikelodeon79 

I got talked into the flu vaccine for my son, who was almost eighteen months at the time. He had a bad reaction to it (swelling and itching on his face, high fever, hives, swelling at the injection site). He does NOT have an egg allergy.

He ran a high fever for several weeks after the vaccination and has not been totally well since. He stopped eating, started becoming very irritable, and started having occasional vomiting, texture aversion, instability when walking, pale skin, and occasional fevers.

This past Wednesday, he had to have a blood transfusion due to extremely low hemoglobin, iron, protein, and albumin.

He has now developed severe behavioral issues including tantrums I refer to as meltdowns. He refuses to feed himself and is terrified of strangers. He developed a habit where he rubs the corners of his mouth with his thumbs.

After a barrage of tests ruling out physical causes (still waiting on the brain MRI scheduled for Monday), the doctors think he might have autism.

Can I say with any certainty that his issues were caused by the vaccine? Nope. But I can tell you one thing: he will NEVER get the flu vaccine again.

All the statistics and studies in the world mean NOTHING when something like this happens to your child.

I am so sorry this happened to your child!!!

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by pek64 

I am so sorry this happened to your child!!!

I tried to write this in the little thumbs-up area, but it's not working for me. Anyway, I echo this sentiment.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by Turquesa 

Kathymuggle, Cochrane doesn't have much good to say for the flu shot for people with asthma.

Thanks. 

Here is what Cochrane had to say on influenza vaccine and asthma, I agree it is not all that positive.

http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/userfiles/ccoch/file/CD000364.pdf

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by nikelodeon79 

I got talked into the flu vaccine for my son, who was almost eighteen months at the time. He had a bad reaction to it (swelling and itching on his face, high fever, hives, swelling at the injection site). He does NOT have an egg allergy.

He ran a high fever for several weeks after the vaccination and has not been totally well since. He stopped eating, started becoming very irritable, and started having occasional vomiting, texture aversion, instability when walking, pale skin, and occasional fevers.

This past Wednesday, he had to have a blood transfusion due to extremely low hemoglobin, iron, protein, and albumin.

He has now developed severe behavioral issues including tantrums I refer to as meltdowns. He refuses to feed himself and is terrified of strangers. He developed a habit where he rubs the corners of his mouth with his thumbs.

After a barrage of tests ruling out physical causes (still waiting on the brain MRI scheduled for Monday), the doctors think he might have autism.

Can I say with any certainty that his issues were caused by the vaccine? Nope. But I can tell you one thing: he will NEVER get the flu vaccine again.

All the statistics and studies in the world mean NOTHING when something like this happens to your child.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I'm sure you've been told it's a total; coincidence too. How frustrating!

[Oliver'sMom]

We all got the flu shot this year.  My husband teaches germ infested college kids and my son goes to school all day.  I stay home with my younger son, but we both got vaccinated as well since dh and ds carry all the nasties home with them.  My younger son is also highly prone to respiratory infection and has been hospitalized with pneumonia in the past.  The flu would wreak havoc on him.  We also take vitamin D in winter, wash hands regularly and eat whole nutritious food year round.  I'm a middle of the road kind of person, I think.  I take what I feel is best from both modern and natural medicine.  None of us has ever had the flu.  I like to think it's because of all the precautions we take, but who knows...maybe it's just luck.
 

[emma1325]

We don't do the flu vaccine, or any other vaccines.  The risks, known and unknown, are not worth it to us.