to flu shot or not???

[sagemomma]

ok ladies i have recently become a memebr of the non vax community. i am the mother who always had the very first appointment for a flu shot for my so (scheduled in june for an appointment first week of october)
last year my 5 year old got the flu mist and my 1 yer old got the shot and the booster. is it really needed?
i'm afraid that if i don't get it for them and they get the flu fingers will be pointed, i would never harm my children on purpose but which is really the lesser of the evils here?

[JBaxter]

There are hundreds of stains of they flu ( real flu NOT the stomach virus, broncitis, colds etc) this years shot covers 4 strains that may or may not be in the area. That is the the strains dont mutate. On a good year the flu shot may cover you 50% ( on a very good year)
I come from a family of nurses all 3 of which work in ER's and NONE will get the flu shot or recommend them for our family. Wash your hands, take pleanty of vit C if you start feeling down. Thats all we have ever done in our family and I dont recall anyone getting the flu

[Pariah]

I agree with the above. We don't get flu shots, and we don't get the flu. We wash hands frequently, eat a healthy diet (no sugar!!), and exercise. A healthy lifestyle will help immensely.

[alegna]

I evaluate each vaccine by looking at the risks of a disease and the risks of the vaccine. Then I compare risks and benefits each way.

The flu is NOT a serious disease in healthy people.

Therefore, in my risk/benefit analysis, I can't ethically put my children at risk with a vaccine for as little benefit as it would be -EVEN if it worked.


No vaxes here.

No flu or anything else "vax available"

-Angela

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by alegna

The flu is NOT a serious disease in healthy people.

Also, there have been many reports recently about just how ineffective the flu vaccine really is. IMO, the risks of the vaccine far outweigh any benefits.

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...ork/influenza/

[momto l&a]

Its amazing how many people you hear who had the flu vaccine and then GOT the flu.

No thanks. I will just take selenium.

The best way to stay flu free is to maintain good health.

[kythe]

I think it says a lot that even health care workers have low vaccination rates for the flu, despite being considered a high risk group:

http://license.icopyright.net/user/v...x_id=D93RIEI80

I'm an LPN and I worked at a flu shot clinic last year. I had myself and both kids vaccinated against the flu because I felt hypocritical to refuse while giving shots to others. We aren't getting vaccinated this year, and it's not something I plan on again.

Most people I currently work with have never had flu shots even though they in health care professions. I've spoken with nurses who either don't believe flu shots are effective or don't believe they are at risk of the flu. Thorough and frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of the flu, whether or not you are personally immune.

[Gitti]

You might want to read through this blog -

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...and-the-media/

btw, no flu (or otherwise) shots in this family.

[MilkTrance]

Who cares if "fingers are pointed"? You have to do what's right. Besides, even if you get the flu shot you can still get one of the many, many variations of the flu.

[spero]

Originally Posted by alegna

The flu is NOT a serious disease in healthy people.

Therefore, in my risk/benefit analysis, I can't ethically put my children at risk with a vaccine for as little benefit as it would be -EVEN if it worked.

That, and

Originally Posted by MilkTrance

Who cares if "fingers are pointed"?

That.

Geez, people get sick. We're SUPPOSED to get sick sometimes. Why are we now living in a world that craves sterility so much? To the point where we engage in finger-pointing just b/c someone's kid gets sick from a "vaccine-preventable" disease?!

I think we're going to regret this time in history, one day, when all this hand sanitizing and vaccinating for everything will ensure that people no longer have natural immunity to anything.

[columbusmomma]

No flu shots for our family! I just don't see the point to be honest! I really don't care if I do get the "flu" anyway. Ditto for the rest of the family, I don't see the big deal!

[Murihiku]

Originally Posted by alegna

I evaluate each vaccine by looking at the risks of a disease and the risks of the vaccine. Then I compare risks and benefits each way.

The flu is NOT a serious disease in healthy people.

Therefore, in my risk/benefit analysis, I can't ethically put my children at risk with a vaccine for as little benefit as it would be -EVEN if it worked.

-Angela

That makes so much sense to me. Do you also take into account whether your children will be around unhealthy people? From what I understand it's often the elderly who die of the flu, and I think this might be a factor in an ethical decision.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Murihiku

That makes so much sense to me. Do you also take into account whether your children will be around unhealthy people? From what I understand it's often the elderly who die of the flu, and I think this might be a factor in an ethical decision.

You could. For *me* I don't feel I can ethically put my children at risk for someone elses' benefit. The only way I would consider vaccinating for someone elses' benefit would be if it was another of my children.

-Angela

[kythe]

Originally Posted by Murihiku

That makes so much sense to me. Do you also take into account whether your children will be around unhealthy people? From what I understand it's often the elderly who die of the flu, and I think this might be a factor in an ethical decision.

The vaccine is only one prevention of the flu. Since the flu can be spread through touch, it is possible to spread the virus from one person you contact to another, even if your body is able to fight off the disease. This is why the CDC recommends other preventions for spreading the flu as well, such as covering your mouth and nose while coughing and wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer every time you touch your face.

[peainthepod]

Originally Posted by kythe

The vaccine is only one prevention of the flu. Since the flu can be spread through touch, it is possible to spread the virus from one person you contact to another, even if your body is able to fight off the disease. This is why the CDC recommends other preventions for spreading the flu as well, such as covering your mouth and nose while coughing and wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer every time you touch your face.

Not to mention that if your children get a live virus flu vaccine (the only flu vax that has no mercury in it, AFAIK), they'll be shedding live flu viruses wherever they go for up to three weeks. That doesn't sound very ethical to me...

[alegna]

Originally Posted by peainthepod

Not to mention that if your children get a live virus flu vaccine (the only flu vax that has no mercury in it, AFAIK), they'll be shedding live flu viruses wherever they go for up to three weeks. That doesn't sound very ethical to me...

There is a killed flu vax that is mercury free.

The only live flu vax is the flu mist.

-Angela

[peainthepod]

Originally Posted by alegna

There is a killed flu vax that is mercury free.

The only live flu vax is the flu mist.

-Angela

Okay, thanks for clarifying. I thought that only the FluMist was mercury-free.

[loveyourohana]

Just a thought here...

but there are other ingredients and side effects in the vaccination other than mercury!

I would go through each ingredient in the mercury free one, and make sure that they are not neurotoxins....

My friend that is preg. now, wanted to get a mercury free flu shot, and the Doc. told her NO....

There is too much speculation with vaccinations going on right now, to not look at every angle, or for me to feel confident in telling you its safe, and go ahead.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Murihiku

That makes so much sense to me. Do you also take into account whether your children will be around unhealthy people? From what I understand it's often the elderly who die of the flu, and I think this might be a factor in an ethical decision.

1-I will not risk my children's health for the supposed benefit of someone else.
2-Maintaining a healthy immune system and practicing good hygiene are the best flu preventatives.

[Deborah]

Someone I know works in a hospital, with elderly people. I dug up a Cochrane Collaborative paper evaluating the benefit of the flu shot for health care providers in preventing the flu in patients. Evidence in favor is very weak. On the other hand, the benefit of frequent handwashing is very clear. So he said he would continue to wash his hands frequently and avoid working with patients if he felt at all sick.