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if you decided not to get the flu shot....
for you or your LO, can you tell me what information got you to that decision? dh and i have never gotten one and don't plan on getting one, but i want to hear from other moms.
(feel free to include any favorite sites you go to--isn't there a mom board that covers vaccines?)
thanks!
09/21/09 and 08/16/2011
This discussion has been closed.
Re: if you decided not to get the flu shot....
This is a C&P of my answer from this thread:
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/44046473.aspx
What bothers me about the flu vaccine is that its a guessing game. It isn't like a measles vaccine (just as an example), where you get vaccinated against it twice in your life for immunity from the virus. No, you are supposed to get the flu vaccine every year with strains the CDC thinks might be a problem that year, in hopes your body will build enough antibodies to those particular strains before you are exposed to those particular strains. If you are exposed before your body builds enough antibodies, tough cookies, you're going to get sick. If you are exposed to one of the many other strains that may be floating around in any particular region, tough cookies, you're going to get sick. Even if you are exposed to one of the strains you were vaccinated against, you could still get sick for a number of reasons. So, I don't want to put more junk into my body or my child's body each year based on someone's guess and just hope that they got it right and that our bodies build enough antibodies quickly enough to be effective. We will do our best to ward off the flu in other ways, and take her to the dr at the first inclination of any illness.
/soapbox.
The O'Baby Blog
I found that the Vaccine Book had a lot of good information. We are not getting the flu shot because there are other vaccines that I feel are more important. I've never given her more than 2 or 3 at a time and with ones like MMR I didn't give her any other shots at the same time. If I were to give her a flu shot I would also give it as an isolated shot. We were behind after she didn't get any at her 12 month appointment so we are slowly catching her back up. I didn't want to use up 2 months getting flu shots.
I also agree with MrsBeckO times a million. Plus the flu vaccine has some ingredients that are questionable for me.
52 Choices For Better Health
I don't ever remember this board having a heated debate over immunizations in the past. I have always appreciated the information, and still do.
Correct me if I am forgetting. I can admit when I am wrong.
I don't have anything to share. We chose to get a flu shot for DD, and the older kids will get them also. We will be on airplanes during flu season and that wierds me out.
Really? I'm pretty sure balihaigirl doesn't find children's illnesses to be funny at all. Your comment was a low blow.
Though I totally understand why you would be sensitive to this, L.. in defense of Balihai, I do not think she was mocking the question or found it funny. I got the impression that she thought this thread would become heated (given the controversy that surrounds vaccines) and was choosing to sit back and watch the thread rather than get involved.
I'm sorry you took offense to that gif, and I'm sure Balihai meant no harm.
The O'Baby Blog
52 Choices For Better Health
Yes it was. And thank you AJL. I don't find vax funny at all. It is just a hot topic where people always blow up at each other.
WOW, just wow. I know you've been through a lot and I feel like I have always been supportive of you and I would NEVER mock what you've been through. But yeah, your comment was uncalled for.
exactly.
and it hurts my feelings that you would think so little of me, L and would think that i would post that to mock you and your child.
geez.
This. Balihai is one of the sweetest people I know. If she stepped on your toes it was completely unintentional.
I forgot to answer the OP--all three of us got it, but like Kiarox suggested, we isolated Luke's flu shot.
***Long answer. Watch out!
***
To answer the original question, I think a lot of people opt out of the flu vaccine simply because it's just not an illness they feel is too complicated or will cause major problems for themselves or their family.
It's quite possible that this is the case. However, there are very few scientifically based resources that will openly advocate for NOT getting the flu vaccine.
If you are not immunocompromised (i.e. don't have a preexisting condition like asthma, diabetes, HIV, cancer, etc.) or have not had any complications from the flu in the past, you are not in the target group studied to receive the most benefit from the vaccine.
When it comes to children, who are vulnerable to complications from the flu (most notably pneumonia), I tend to err on the side of caution. Obviously, there are risks/benefits to be weighed and it's ultimately your decision as a parent to vaccinate or not. If your LO goes to daycare or is in a setting where she is exposed to many children and other people in close contact, I would recommend the vaccine.
The same goes if you or your DH are in health care, child care, teachers, or exposed to lots of different people at close contact.
If you don't really meet any of these criteria then you might consider forgoing it. I'm sure there are lots of resources on boosting your own natural immunity to help avoid flu infection.
Do educate yourself one the TRUE SYMPTOMS of influenza. A lot of people confuse a bad cold with the flu. Flu symptoms usually present as:
-Fever (usually high)
-Headache
-Muscle aches
-Chills
-Extreme tiredness
-Dry cough
-Runny nose may also occur but is more common in children than adults
-Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, may also occur but are more common in children than adult
Most healthy adults who get the flu are contagious 1 day before symptoms show and between 5-7 days after symptoms present.
If you suspect you have the flu, call your doctor or nurse line for advice. I wouldn't just pop into the office until you make the call first.
As for the CDC and why it chooses the strains it does to create the seasonal vaccine, it's a bit more complicated than BeckO's explanation. The strains that are most common to the United States are usually the same ones the vaccine is created for year over year. Sometimes another prevalent strain will present and for the following season the vaccine will include that strain. If you want more detailed virulogical information about this, I'd be happy to share. Sometimes virology/epidemiology can be a bit dry.
In the interest of full disclosure, my family does vaccinate annually against the flu.
{Disclaimer: I am not getting heated, just a friendly conversation and me trying to better understand...
}
The bolded part there sort of illustrates my point - they can't guarantee that the vaccine will cover the right strains any given year. So if another strain becomes prevalent this season, you aren't protected from that strain until next season. Right? That's what makes it feel like a guessing game to me, though I know they are highly educated "guesses" and not some random drawing.. but still...
The O'Baby Blog
I understand your point. Vaccines are never a guarantee that you won't get a disease. Vaccines are a method of risk reduction, not risk elimination. You can still get the flu even if you get the vaccine. However, the odds are in your favor of a) being less likely to get it the flu b) having a less severe reaction or complications.
You are right: the CDC uses highly educated "guesses." I'm not saying you're wrong, Beck. Just saying that it's more complicated than throwing darts at the Flu Board.
In response to OP, I don't get a flu shot. I just try to keep my hands clean, take my vitamins or wellness stuff and try to avoid it. It's hard as a teacher but I just don't feel like the flu shot is for me. I can't really pinpoint my feelings. I don't have a LO and if I did, my answer may or may not be different. (Pretty sure this isn't helpful at all...)
I got it at Walgreens and the boys got theirs with their 18 month shots. We also got them last year.
so why am I responding to this thread? ha! I don't even know!
Quoting Neil Miller's Vaccine Safety Manual (which admittedly is not a warm fuzzy pro-vaccine book):
"The United States and Canada recently recommended influenza vaccines for healthy children as young as six months old. To assess the merits of this policy, researchers combed the planet for all significant influenza vaccines studies up to June 2004. In February 2005, Lancet published the results of their analysis. Researchers found no evidence that influenza vaccines prevent flu in children younger than 2 years old. In addition, there was "no convincing evidence that [flu] vaccines can reduce mortality, hospital admissions, serious complications and community transmission of influenza.""
The citation he gives for that:
Jefferson, T. et al. "Assessment of the efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccines in healthy children: systemic review." Lancet 2005;365 (Feb 26):773-80.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
I agree 100% with AJL. The flu is not the common cold, can be very serious, does cause mortality every year in young, old, and otherwise healthy individuals, and getting the vaccine is a 100% personal (or family) decision. I work in Public Health and for a large urban school district and DH was born with a congential heart defect in which he has had 5 open heart surgeries since he was 3 months-19 years old. If he were to get the flu, it could be life threatening for him. I chose to vaccinate myself and dd to minimize the risk of acquiring and transmitting the flu.
Again, I strongly believe in prevention and doing anything you can to prevent illnesses such as the flu. I also firmly believe in practicing healthy behaviors that minimize your risk of acquiring the flu.....frequent handwashing, covering coughs/sneezes, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, being physical active, etc.....all which help to strengthen the immune system.