FLU SHOT ;-(

abrinkley07

So I went to my appointment yesterday and the doctor was pushing a Flu Shot. Personally I don't want to bc every time I have received it I was deathly ill like I had the flu. Did anyone have this issue and what did you do?? I just don't like feeling pressured to do something I don't feel comfortable doing! Help!

ShePersisted

Kimba9454

I just had te same experience with my doctor. I don't agree with it and probably won't be getting it

AndreaG2010

The only time I ever get a flu shot is when I'm pregnant. Especially since both times I've been due during flu season.

CarynJeanG

Can the flu shot posts just end already!?!? OP just get the flu shot to protect your baby and yourself.

queeniecrayon

The flu shot cannot give you the flu. It's a dead virus. The flu can kill you though.

And for the love of god, please remember that influenza (what the vaccine is for) is a respiratory illness! A stomach flu is NOT THE FLU! You can still catch a GI bug with nausea and vomiting. (That confusion is a HUGE pet peeve of mine!)

ashleyv013

I had gotten sick after the flu shot before when the shot contained the live virus; the shot they give you does not contain the live virus so your arm will just be sore.  I was fine this time so I vote go for it!

Dawizzle

I'd get one, especially if it's been some time since you've gotten one.  You may have gotten one of the live strain shots the last time that made you sick, and pregnant ladies don't get those.

It's better to err on the side of caution, I think--and you definitely don't want to get the flu while pregnant.  It can be very dangerous and way worse than just being sidelined with adverse effects for a day or two.  

My doctors all encouraged one and I trust them to bring my kid into the world so I trust them on this.  

Jspagnuolo

It will not contain the live virus and therefore will not get you sick. Protect yourself and your baby, just get it.

boogerbearoriginal

sms_518 said:

The flu shot cannot give you the flu. It's a dead virus. The flu can kill you though. And for the love of god, please remember that influenza (what the vaccine is for) is a respiratory illness! A stomach flu is NOT THE FLU! You can still catch a GI bug with nausea and vomiting. (That confusion is a HUGE pet peeve of mine!)

OMG THIS A THOUSAND TIMES!

I hate, vaccine nonsense aside, when people talk about "Oh I have the flu" NO, you have the shits - TOTALLY DIFFERENT VIRUS!!!

iwubrory

Ugh.

Mazingmommyof6

I was weird about vaccines until my son was hospitalized for a few weeks and was seriously ill. I spent a long time chatting with the infectious disease specialists. They really educated me on the whole " why would you not get it if you know the actual bug can kill you or your child". Maybe seeing my son nearly die emphasized the " can kill you or your son" .... But it opened my eyes

shellbell3845

Get the shot. It's for you and LO. Your doctor pushes the flu shot for a reason -- it's important. Would you question your doctor's orders for a prenatal vitamin or the glucose test or an ultrasound? I certainly hope not. Get the shot. It's a no brainer.

Fullerj21

Before this pregnsncy, I had never got a flu shot and was nervous to get one too. My doctor strongly recommended it and I did my research and everything suggested getting it. I got the shot over 2 weeks ago and I feel fine! I would recommend it.

JordyInIndy

Suck it up and get your flu shot.

boogerbearoriginal

FWIW, my arm was sore for all of 24hrs at the most. If you happen to fall ill shortly after getting the flu shot it's merely a coincidence and you would've gotten sick regardless.

This is my first year getting the flu shot, simply because as a healthy adult I was always pretty low on the risk factor, and too lazy to go get one. Being pg means your immune system isn't as strong and you're at a much higher risk of complications for you/LO if you get the flu. Your heart/lungs are already working harder just existing because of pg - they don't need the additional stress of the flu. It is a very different virus from even a really bad cold.

My Dr asked if I was getting it, and I said sure. Voila. Drs don't recommend flu shots for fun, or because they like poking people with needles and they certainly aren't getting big kickbacks or some shit from the vaccine makers. They recommend them because the flu vaccine saves lives. THOUSANDS of people die from the flu every year.

abrinkley07

Okay thanks for the decent comments. For all of the others with your Smart comments they are not needed!

Mazingmommyof6

I don't think anyone was intending on being mean. We are sharing our experiences, thoughts and feelings with you. I believe that's what you ask for when you post a question. I'm sorry if my post upset you.

queeniecrayon

I wasn't being smart, I was being honest. What's that saying? Oh yeah...the truth hurts. Sorry....

RondackHiker

The shot will protect your baby post birth as well. Get the shot. Any reaction (which is rare) will be much more minor than the flu. You will not actually have the flu.

And you're asking a message board of STRANGERS if you should follow the the advice of your trained and educated doctor.... You should expect some smart comments.

ShePersisted

Wow really?? You had a wink in your title which clearly shows you know how people feel and think about this topic. So if you got some snark I think it's expected.

I asked this question too a few weeks back as I never got flu shots before but was thankful for all responses snarky or not.

Chereen

I didn't get it. I never have and have no plans to. I do not like what's in the shot. From what I have read and learned the virus is half dead and Half alive. Your body can not form an immunity to a completely dead virus. I may be wrong, but from everything I've read about what's in the shots I personally am not comfortable with getting one. I would also like to say I do not work. So I am really just at home most of the time. I will not be in an office where everyone is getting sick etc.

RondackHiker

Chereen said:

I didn't get it. I never have and have no plans to. I do not like what's in the shot. From what I have read and learned the virus is half dead and Half alive. Your body can not form an immunity to a completely dead virus. I may be wrong, but from everything I've read about what's in the shots I personally am not comfortable with getting one. I would also like to say I do not work. So I am really just at home most of the time. I will not be in an office where everyone is getting sick etc.

You are wrong.

As far as what's in it... What is it that concerns you?

There's less mercury in the flu vaccine than in a can of tuna. And your produce more formaldehyde than is in the vaccine.

The flue vaccine is dead. Other vaccines are weakened or partial but the injected flu vaccine is dead. Your body can build immunity to that.

ziggy903

There are three kinds of people who need the flu shot:
1. The very young
2. The very old
3. Those who will be around the very young or very old

Currently, you are 2/3. Get the flu shot.

Mazingmommyof6

RondackHiker said:

Chereen said:

I didn't get it. I never have and have no plans to. I do not like what's in the shot. From what I have read and learned the virus is half dead and Half alive. Your body can not form an immunity to a completely dead virus. I may be wrong, but from everything I've read about what's in the shots I personally am not comfortable with getting one. I would also like to say I do not work. So I am really just at home most of the time. I will not be in an office where everyone is getting sick etc.

You are wrong.

As far as what's in it... What is it that concerns you?

There's less mercury in the flu vaccine than in a can of tuna. And your produce more formaldehyde than is in the vaccine.

The flue vaccine is dead. Other vaccines are weakened or partial but the injected flu vaccine is dead. Your body can build immunity to that.

They do have mercury free vaccines as well.

RondackHiker

Mazingmommyof6 said:

RondackHiker said:

Chereen said:

I didn't get it. I never have and have no plans to. I do not like what's in the shot. From what I have read and learned the virus is half dead and Half alive. Your body can not form an immunity to a completely dead virus. I may be wrong, but from everything I've read about what's in the shots I personally am not comfortable with getting one. I would also like to say I do not work. So I am really just at home most of the time. I will not be in an office where everyone is getting sick etc.

You are wrong.

As far as what's in it... What is it that concerns you?

There's less mercury in the flu vaccine than in a can of tuna. And your produce more formaldehyde than is in the vaccine.

The flue vaccine is dead. Other vaccines are weakened or partial but the injected flu vaccine is dead. Your body can build immunity to that.

They do have mercury free vaccines as well.

Yup, but it's still a silly concern to me.

orchid8301

I had a flu like virus last month and it was hell!!! Without being able to really medicate, I was absolutely miserable. That is definitely not something I want to experience again. 

RondackHiker

Sakura0019 said:

I need to say this because I will explode if I do not: (and it is not aimed specifically at OP, it is for anyone making a decision related to healthcare)

As a healthcare provider I respect that people have different opinions about many things related to healthcare practices .... That being said, when you go to form your opinion, please use legitimate research related to whatever topic you are making an opinion on. For example, with the flu shot issue, go to the CDC website, go to the Mayo clinic website. DO NOT consult Wikipedia, your grandmother, or chain e-mails when making important decisions regarding the your health or the health of your loved ones. Arm yourself with solid research from legitimate sources.

**jumps off soap box**

I feel like I never noticed you early on and now I'm falling in love with you.

coffeyandyogapants

I also have gotten very ill in the past from the flu shot. This is usually from the preservatives they use, ask for a preservative free shot. I got that type this year, and no problems

CarynJeanG

I'm just putting this out there.. Do you go to a restaurant ever? grocery shop? Or go out in public?

People are disgusting from my 7 years in restaurants. They do not wash their hands, sneeze on salad bars, wipe their noses with their shirts, have poor hygiene and you have no idea who used that cart before you. Now I'm not saying that you need to be a germafob (spelling?) but protecting you and your family is the most important thing. Just because you are healthy doesn't mean that the person who touched the bathroom door before you was. The flu can kill you and your LO. Is it really worth the risk? IMHO Hell no!

RondackHiker

I quoted this from the 2nd tri thread since the lovely @firefly9 said it so well.

Firefly9 said:

The tiny amount of formaldehyde found in vaccinations is negligible compared to what could happen if you get the flu. 

And, just for @RondackHiker, I'm ready to bombard you with SCIENTIFIC evidence that the actual levels of formaldehyde in vaccines are completely harmless.

First,
"Concerns about the safety of formaldehyde have centered on the observation that high concentrations of formaldehyde can damage
DNA and cause cancerous changes in cells in vitro.^71,72 Although formaldehyde is diluted during the manufacturing process, residual quantities of formaldehyde may be found in several
current vaccines (Table 5). Fortunately, formaldehyde does not seem to be a cause of cancer in humans,⁷³ and animals that are exposed to large quantities of formaldehyde (a single dose of 25 mg/kg or chronic exposure at doses
of 80–100 mg/kg/day) do not develop malignancies.^74,75
   The quantity of formaldehyde contained in individual vaccines does not exceed 0.1 mg (Table 5). This quantity of formaldehyde is considered to be safe for 2 reasons. First, formaldehyde is an essential intermediate
in human metabolism and is required for the synthesis of thymidine, purines, and amino acids.⁷⁶ Therefore, all humans have detectable quantities of formaldehyde in their circulation (approximately 2.5 μg of formaldehyde/mL
of blood).⁷⁷
Assuming an average weight of a 2-month-old of 5 kg and an average
blood volume of 85 mL/kg, the total quantity of formaldehyde
found naturally in an infant’s circulation would
be approximately 1.1 mg—a value at least 10-fold greater than that
contained
in any individual vaccine. Second, quantities of
formaldehyde at least 600-fold greater than that contained in vaccines
have
been given safely to animals.^74,75"......

"Parents should be reassured that quantities of mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde contained in vaccines are likely to be harmless on the basis of exposure studies in humans or experimental studies in animals. Although severe anaphylactic reactions may occur rarely after receipt of vaccines that contain sufficient quantities of egg proteins (eg, influenza, yellow fever) or gelatin (eg, MMRII), children who are at risk for severe infection with influenza can be desensitized to influenza vaccine, and gelatinspecific allergies are very rare. Immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions to neomycin or yeast proteins have not been clearly documented and remain theoretical."

--Pediatrics Vol. 112 No. 6 December 1, 2003 pp. 1394 -1397

Next, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm
Formaldehyde is used to inactivate bacterial products for toxoid
vaccines, (these are vaccines that use an inactive bacterial toxin to
produce immunity.) It is also used to kill unwanted viruses and bacteria
that might contaminate the vaccine during production. Most formaldehyde
is removed from the vaccine before it is packaged.

Third, from https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/ucm187810.htm

"Why is formaldehyde in some vaccines?
Formaldehyde
has a long history of safe use in the manufacture of certain viral and
bacterial vaccines. It is used to inactivate viruses so that they don’t
cause disease (e.g., influenza virus to make influenza vaccine) and to
detoxify bacterial toxins, such as the toxin used to make diphtheria
vaccine. Formaldehyde is diluted during the vaccine manufacturing
process, but residual quantities of formaldehyde may be found in some
current vaccines. The average amount of formaldehyde to which a young
infant could be exposed to at one time through vaccines is considered to
be safe.

Formaldehyde is also produced naturally in the human
body as a part of normal functions of the body to produce energy and
build the basic materials needed for important life processes. This
includes making amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins
that the body needs.

Formaldehyde is also found in the environment
and is present in different ways. It is used in building materials, as a
preservative in labs and to produce many household products.

The
body continuously processes formaldehyde, both from what it makes on its
own and from what it has been exposed to in the environment. The amount
of formaldehyde in a person’s body depends on their weight; babies have
lower amounts than adults. Studies have shown that for a newborn of
average weight of 6 -8 pounds, the amount of formaldehyde in their body
is 50-70 times higher than the upper amount that they could receive from
a single dose of a vaccine or from vaccines administered over time
(1,2,3).

Excessive exposure to formaldehyde may cause cancer, but
the latest research has shown that the highest risk is from the air when
formaldehyde is inhaled from breathing, and occurs more frequently in
people who routinely use formaldehyde in their jobs. There is no
evidence linking cancer to infrequent exposure to tiny amounts of
formaldehyde via injection as occurs with vaccines.

(1) Heck HD,
Casanova-Schmitz M, Dodd PB, Schachter EN, Witek TJ, Tosun T. 1985.
Formaldehyde (CH2O) concentrations in the blood of humans and
Fischer-344 rats exposed to CH2O under controlled conditions. Am Ind Hyg
Assoc J 46(1):1-3.

(2) Cascieri TC, Clary JJ. 1992. Formaldehyde -- oral toxicity assessment. Comments Toxicol 4 (4): 295-304.

(3) Dhareshwar SS, Stella VJ. 2008. Your prodrug releases formaldehyde: should you be concerned? No! J Pharm Sci 97(10):4184-93."

Oh, and if you are concerned about formaldehyde, you also probably shouldn't breathe, because if you read here: https://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/121919/AN%20UPDATE%20ON%20FORMALDEHYDE%20final%200113.pdf

"Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels, usually less than 0.03 parts per million (ppm), in both outdoor and indoor air. The outdoor air in rural areas has lower concentrations while urban areas have higher concentrations (due to sources such as automobile exhaust)."

That article says nothing about vaccinations, which I'm sure it'd mention if it were a problem.

You should also avoid ANY of the products here, including baby wash: https://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/search?tbl=TblChemicals&queryx=50-00-0

And the pear argument someone mentioned above:

Finally, I leave you with this:

abrinkley07

Fuck you and your smart comments! Thanks for making my decision

abrinkley07

And by that way I asked what everyone one did personally not to sit here and attack me like I'm a dumb bc I'm far from that just wanted to hear what other Woman did!

abrinkley07

I had a sad face not a wink js

notreal2

abrinkley07 said:

Fuck you and your smart comments! Thanks for making my decision

Since you were so kind, a "smart comment" is not one that disagrees with you. Unless you were complimenting the profound use of science in these responses. And of course, the use of that extreme hottie Bill Nye.

RondackHiker

abrinkley07 said:

And by that way I asked what everyone one did personally not to sit here and attack me like I'm a dumb bc I'm far from that just wanted to hear what other Woman did!

You are WAY overreacting. No one attacked you. At all.

I don't think anyone called you dumb, either.

Perhaps you have as much trouble reading as you do writing a full sentence.

Firefly9

Sakura0019 said:

I need to say this because I will explode if I do not: (and it is not aimed specifically at OP, it is for anyone making a decision related to healthcare) As a healthcare provider I respect that people have different opinions about many things related to healthcare practices .... That being said, when you go to form your opinion, please use legitimate research related to whatever topic you are making an opinion on. For example, with the flu shot issue, go to the CDC website, go to the Mayo clinic website. DO NOT consult Wikipedia, your grandmother, or chain e-mails when making important decisions regarding the your health or the health of your loved ones. Arm yourself with solid research from legitimate sources. **jumps off soap box**

Wikipedia can die a slow and painful death.

notreal2

Oh and get the shot, don't let your decision to be obstinate override the chance to protect your kid.

tenfour

I would say don't get it if you don't want it. I usually don't, but got it when I was pg last time. I haven't decided about this time yet. 

abrinkley07

Why do you all read the nasty answers then to act like no one got shitty with me. Not all but most of you are nasty people.

CarynJeanG

abrinkley07 said:

Why do you all read the nasty answers then to act like no one got shitty with me. Not all but most of you are nasty people.

abrinkley07 said:

Fuck you and your smart comments! Thanks for making my decision

I think you are the only one who has been shitty. You asked for opinions by posting, you got them.