DD is nearly weaned and in daycare, convince me not to get the flu shot for her.

[eurobin]

I'm not planning to get one for myself. My only reason for falling in the "recommended" box is that I'm a "caregiver of child(ren) aged <5 years." I've never had the flu and I have a good amount of faith in the human immune system + hand washing.

However, this will be Anna's first winter without the magical powers of breastmilk. (She still nurses for like 2 seconds before bed, but I know she's not getting even an ounce a day... no way.) She's two, was full-term, always been perfectly healthy, never had a serious illness or really anything lasting more than 3 or 4 days. She even fought off rotavirus in 3 days. She does go to daycare (aka, germ central) though... she's been there since she was 4 months old.

Questions:
- wwyd? vax or not, especially considering that she's in daycare? (if your answer is no, did you delay/decline some/all other vaxes?)
- how bad is the flu, really? Obviously as a single, working mom, I don't really want to take 2 weeks off with a sick babe. But what does a typical flu actually look like in a generally healthy two year old? What are the risks? Are we looking at two weeks of misery at home with mom and then you're back on your feet? Or worse? How likely would hospitalization, etc. (or worse) be for a generally healthy 2-2.5 year old like Anna?
- What are the risks of the flu vax? In general, how effective has the flu vax been at preventing the flu (and does the efficacy of the vax vary by age of recipient at all?)

I'm leaning towards no but I need solid reasons to back up my gut.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

There was a study showing that getting the flu shot under 3yo was the equivelent of a placebo. The main thing is though do you know that flu shots contain mercury? I just post a bit ago with this information but I will put it here for you. Last night I spent a hour looking at all the package inserts I could find for every brand of flu shot that poped up and every single one contained mercury

This information is directly from the inserts.
Fluaval
http://www.*********/vaccines/fluaval.html

• Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative. Each 0.5 mL dose contains 25 mcg mercury.

Flumist
http://www.*********/vaccine/flumist_pi.pdf

Agrippal S-1
http://www.*********/v/agrippal.html

Preservative: Thimerosal0,05 mg per 0,5 mL dose.

Fluvirin
http://www.*********/a/fluvirin.html

Preservative:Thiomersal 0,01% m/v

Fluviral
http://www.*********/v/fluviral.html

Do not administer this vaccine to individuals known to be sensitive to thimerosal or gelatin.
Thimerosal 0.01% is present in both whole and split-virion preparations as a preservative. Split-virion vaccine also contains 0.025% gelatin as a stabilizer and trace residual amounts of deoxycholate

Fluzone
http://www.*********/v/fluzone.html

Thimerosal 0.01% is added as a preservative.

Afluria
http://novaccine.com/pdffiles/afluri...age_insert.pdf

Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative; each 0.5 mL dose contains 24.5 micrograms (mcg) of mercury

Fluarix
http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_fluarix.pdf

Thimerosal is used at the early stages of manufacture and is removed by subsequent purification steps to a trace amount (≤1 mcg mercury per dose). Each dose may also contain residual amounts of hydrocortisone ≤0.0016 mcg, gentamicin sulfate ≤0.15 mcg, ovalbumin ≤1 mcg, formaldehyde ≤50 mcg, and sodium deoxycholate ≤50 mcg from the manufacturing process.

Even though they say it is removed there are still trace amounts. So that does not equal it not being in there anymore.

There are many more brands out there but I havnt seen one yet that dosnt contain at least trace amounts of mercury. This site here has the vax's listed and how much mercury it contains. http://poisonevercure.150m.com/vacci...ge_inserts.htm

And before you say well shoot we eat more mercury than that in some foods. Food goes through the stomach where if it isnt digested it goes on through. While the shot injects every micron of that mercury directly into the body.

[eurobin]

I did not realize that... I thought, who knows why or where I came up with it, that there was a pediatric version that was free of mercury. I wish, right? Good info, thanks!

[ZoeyZoo]

Neither DH or I will get a flu shot and we both take care of a weaned baby.

Here's some articles I suggest you read:

This is the flu vax effects on the immune system and brain. It focuses on seniors (though it does discuss children). The issue is the same really in all people. Good explanation of how the flu vax effects the body without going into too much biology.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...er-age-50.aspx

Here's another link I like from the British Medical Journal.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7574/912

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

If there is one for kids mercury free I have not been able to find it.