Flu Shot - Washington,MO

I have.
The one with no preservatives.
It was fine.

The shots DO come in preservative free versions as well.

There is one without preservatives that is given to pregnant women and children. I would ask for it.

Getting the flu shot while you are nursing is probably the best thing you can do to help protect your baby against the flu. Remember, those who get the sickest are infants and the elderly. In fact, about 36,000 Americans per year die of the flu.

Here are some more facts:

1. There are two different kinds of flu shots this year. One contains preservatives such as trace elements of Thimerosal (organic mercury), and one does not. Both contain inactive viruses that protect against this season's flu as well as H1N1. After doing some very brief research, I found several drugstores that had the non-thiomersal version of the shot in my city.

2. The flu shot is extremely effective in preventing the flu strain for which it was designed to prevent; however, the seasonal flu shot is a prediction. There may be more than one flu strain going around in a given year, or the shot may not protect against a dominant flu strain in a given year. Therefore, you are about 75% less likely to get any given flu during the year when you get a flu shot. This is also why people say, "I got the flu shot, but got sick anyway. I'm never getting the shot again!!" To me, even if the flu shot is not effective 25% of the time, it's still worth getting the shot because being 75% less likely to be laid up on my back for a week is a pretty good deal. (Also, those unfortunate enough to get the flu right after they got the flu shot were probably exposed to the virus shortly before getting the shot. It takes roughly three to five days for the average virus to incubate.)

3. Getting a flu shot for yourself will help protect your baby because you can pass on those antibodies through your breastmilk. To get the most protection for your baby, however, you may want to encourage everyone in your household to get the shot.

4. The flu shot, in various forms, has been available to people for decades. It is well proved.

Additionally, please trust reliable websites when it comes to deciding about receiving a flu shot. There are many, many conspiracy theory websites, and websites that are poorly sourced that may seem credible but are totally worthless. Here is a website about the flu shot that is written by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm#whatare

It has information about flu shot risks, as well as who should and should not receive a flu shot.

Hi J.,
I wouldn't get it if I were breastfeeding or not. There are some very negative side effects to the shot, including Guillian Barre Syndrome. http://www.whale.to/vaccines/gbs.htm
I think your best bet would be to boost your immune system instead. Also, just in case you are considering it, the H1N1 vaccine is now linked to narcolepsy. You know, the condition where you fall asleep suddenly when you are sitting still for a few moments (like at a traffic light). Scary stuff.

There are many 'beliefs' about vaccines and many claims that they are proven safe by people who claim to have scientific knowledge. After 25 years of reading, researching, and investigating the subject from a variety of perspectives I can, without any reservation tell you that much of what is popularly understood, even by people who work in the health care field, is misinformation or biased information. For the most part, people tend to promote or protest the practice of vaccination as if it were a religious belief. In reality, there are many scientific facts that are not well known, but could be understood if the public really wanted to know. Most people do not think they have enough of a background in science to really understand the truth. So they either rely upon the evening news and their doctors to inform them, or they fall pray to conspiracy theories. From what I have learned, the public is far too easily led to accept what is just not true.

Science knew, at least as far back as 1984 when the EPA told the dental industry that leftover material used for filling teeth must be treated as hazardous waste, that mercury is a highly dangerous neuro-toxin. It was found by scientists and environmentalists to be too toxic to put into landfills. Yet, it was and is considered legal to inject directly into the bloodstream or to be used in medical dental applications. No one needs a degree in chemistry to understand that if neurotoxins are not safe in a landfill, it is not safe in injections or fillings. Anyone who fails to make this connection simply does not want to see what is right in front of them.

I have heard doctors, in arrogant tones, explain that we are exposed to more mercury in the fish we eat than in vaccines. What they either do not understand or are not willing to explain is that mercury introduced by food must process through the liver and that the liver usually creates cells that will bind small amounts of mercury so that it passes out of the body without causing great harm. However, when mercury is injected or seeps into the body's tissue from dental applications, that mercury is free to find its way to body tissue where it can cause great damage. Therefore, medical introduction of mercury is remarkably more dangerous than mercury in our food. Mercury from foods can only cause the same kind of damage if we suffer from a liver disease or are taking medications that prevent the liver from producing the cells that mercury will bind to.

I do not know how much of the mercury, or the other heavy metals, harsh antibiotics, msg, or formaldehyde will make their way into the milk of a lactating mother. One doctor did explain to me that 80% of the mercury injected into a pregnant woman is normally dumped into the placenta and is highly likely to effect the neurological development of a fetus. Although mercury can cause neurological confusion in anyone, it is most obviously damaging to developing neurons. You can see this on a video produced and published by the University of Calgary at http://commons.ucalgary.ca/showcase/curtains.php?src=http....

This information was available to an industry that, for decades, told us that mercury in dental work and in vaccines had no impact on the sharp rise in neurological developmental delays and distortions in our children. In my estimation, we cannot afford to remain ignorant of the truth. Anyone who claims there is no relationship between injected mercury and conditions such as autism is someone who is willing to dismiss all biological evidence to the contrary. Even the president of the Institute of Medicine admitted to this in an interview on Meet the Press a few years ago. After publishing the results of the study that stated that there was no relationship between vaccines and autism, he stated clearly that the board of scientists conducting that study chose to 'dismiss the biological evidence' and published their epidemiological study, which was altered by including populations of children who were exposed to one fourth of the mercury as children in the US and were not vaccinated until after age 2, when the neurology for walking and talking were largely already formed. He basically admitted that they did not want to tell the public the biological truth. If we continue to rely on such an agency it is only because we are afraid to think for ourselves and want to feel safer believing they will protect us.

If you are going to consider receiving vaccinations while pregnant or nursing, you need to not only consider how this could potentially harm your child, but you should fully consider that your own body is far more vulnerable to the damages that could be caused by the variety of toxic ingredients in a vaccine. This is certainly one of the worst times to expose your own body to these risky ingredients. I found it interesting to note that, in one of the responses you received, a woman claimed it was safe for her to receive the flu shot while pregnant. Then she tells us that she was receiving chemo treatments while her child was still young enough to be nursing. It would at least seem reasonable to consider the possibility that the artificial manipulation of a pregnant woman's immune system with a highly toxic injection might have played a significant role in the development of an autoimmune disorder that would be treated with chemo therapy.

We need to stop believing that we cannot understand what we need to understand in order to protect our health and our families' health from a practice that we want to believe will help us. From all I have learned, I have no doubt whatsoever, that if and when money for research is motivated to publish the truth rather than to protect the pharmaceutical industry, we will become aware of the many and severe risks of unsafe vaccine practices.

So from all I have learned on the subject, if I were you, I would not be so much concerned about things like mercury making its way into the milk your child is drinking. If your child has not been exposed to broad-spectrum antibiotics or certain anti-siezure medications, her liver will likely be able to filter out the mercury without it causing measurable harm. But, if you want your child to have a healthy mother, I would not expose myself to the risks of a vaccine while nursing. While a mother is nursing, her body will sacrifice its own needs to make sure the child gets what she needs. A woman's body is far more vulnerable to toxic damages while nursing. While pregnant, however, both mother and child are at increased risk to what is called 'adverse reactions to vaccines'. If a vaccine does damage a fetus, it will not likely be seen until the child is born. And even then, how would you possibly know if it was the vaccine that caused the damage? Millions of parents have reported severe changes in their child's health or neurological functions within days after a vaccine. Parents have no way of reporting such damage to a child they cannot see.

There are far, far better ways to protect oneself from infectious diseases. We have much to learn and I feel we need to believe we, as mothers, can learn and understand what we need to so that we can base our decisions on sound knowledge and not on popular beliefs based on what we are told by an industry that reaps billions of dollars each year from selling their products to us. That industry has the knowledge, the relationships, and certainly the money to persuade the agencies designed to moderate them and the news reports they sponsor. We must learn to see with our own eyes and understand with our own minds. If you begin to search, real information is not that difficult to find today.

I would recommend visiting the sites of the manufacturers (ask the pharmacist to tell you who they are besides Novartis, Sanofi pasteur, etc) and see their full prescribing information.

As someone who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry (not for a vaccine manufacturer), I can PROMISE everyone that the government is NO friend to the pharmaceutical industry. The FDA, CDC, NIH are all very much aligned with the patient's best interests and tend to be very difficult for the pharmaceutical companies to work with at times, but it's always to make sure what is available to the public is as thoroughly researched as possible before there are any approved uses. Side effects are required to be reported back to the FDA by law. The fines/penalties are incredibly steep for not complying.

Or check FDA.gov, drugs.com, etc. The FDA requires clinical studies be performed on lactating women before they will approve that indication (use) to make sure it's as safe as possible. It doesn't mean there aren't issues, just that they believe the risk does NOT outweigh the benefit.

I honestly can't remember if I received one while nursing my son 4 years ago. I certainly did while pregnant, but I was taking chemo when I would have been nursing my daughter at that stage, and it was definitely needed as I had no immune system.

Your OB/GYN would also be a good source, but you were correct in going to the pediatrician first as your baby's health is the primary concern.

I had a Preemie and have to get the flu while brestfeeding. The shot IS an inactive virus and it is impossible to get the flu from it. The nasal spray however is a weakened virus so you can get sick from it. I would go to the CDC 's website to see if you can find out about the mercury. I was told this years shot has no preservitives so it is supoose to be safe.

I am just doing a lot of hand wahing this year.

I can only say I am against flu shots in general primarily because of the mercury. I've never had one and never plan to. I just make sure to eat right, take vitamins, sleep as well as I can, and wash hands frequently.

I have known many more people who got VERY ill from the flu shot than people who avoided getting the flu because of it.
Don't risk it. Your baby may not be able to handle it. There are a lot of things in vaccinations that I wouldn't want to give my child, especially such new vaccinations like the flu shot. They don't have any long term testing on them. My doctors won't get them or give them to their children. And these are mainstream doctors, not alternative medicine.

I've gotten it while nursing. It was fine; go ahead and get it!

my kids both get the thimeresol (sp?) free flu shot vaccine. You can get a flu shot while pregnant so I'm sure its fine to get one while breastfeeding.
edited: There is only one brand of flu shots that has caused seizures in children in Australia and they are not using in the US on small children. My boys got theirs already and they are just fine. They get one every year. I got one while pregnant and I have gotten them when nursing. All I do is look at it his way how would you feel if you didn't get the vaccine and you came down with the flu and you passed the flu onto your baby and your baby died could you live with yourself knowing you could have done something to prevent it? I know for me the answer would be No, I wouldn't even be able to stand the sight of my reflection in a mirror.

There are preservative-free shots available. I had the preservative-free one last year while breastfeeding (and the previous year while pregnant) and my doctor, my daughter's doctor, and her allergist all reccomended it. Please consult a doctor if you are concerned. I agree with a previous poster that there are many websites that vaccine opponents use to scare others. The CDC does list all of the possible side effects of the shots on its website. It is very comprehensive. I'd make a list of your concerns and talk with your doctor about them before making a decision.

You can also ask for the flu mist. I heard that it might be a touch more effective than the shot.

I got the 'regular' flu shot when I was prego both times and never had an issue and that one was safe for pregnant and BF women. But now with it being combined this year with the H1N1, I personally wouldn't do it. In fact I'm not prego and I'm NOT getting it nor will my kids for that same reason!! First I think the whole swine flu is nothing more than a scare made up by drug manufactures and they have our government in their pockets only to have the government tell us how we are all going to die from this form of flu. If I'm not mistaken, more people died from the regular flu than the swine flu last year and a vaccine isn't the reason!! Also this new combination of flu shot this year is causing young children to get extremely sick all over the world and the list of side effects on the CDC's website are quiet scary if you look it up and do some research on them like Guillain-Barré syndrome that can cause nerve damage!!

Thimerosal is a mercury-based chemical used in most flu vaccines to prevent bacteria growth which is where that issue comes up.

Just do your own homework on this and be an informed person and parent. Here are some websites that talk about this years vaccine and other areas you can go for info.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/1011_vac_selection.htm (which strains of flu will be included in vaccine)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm#whatarethe (Q and A section of who and how old someone should be, small list of side effects with a link to read the whole list)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/health/22vacc.html (talks about adjuvants being added to increase the supply of the flu vaccine. It is believed that this is what is causing children around the world to become extremely ill after getting the shot this year.)

Good luck
S.

I am nursing as well. I am also a former Respiratory Therapist. I have never and will never get the flu shot.

Lisa

I'm currently breastfeeding and plan to get the flu shot. Both my doctor and the pediatrician recommended I get it.

I am getting mine and I got it when I had my son. The risk of your baby getting the flu is a much bigger risk (and can be much more dangerous).

I have gotten flu shots while pregnant with and while nursing my oldest son. I am still nursing my second son and plan on getting it this year. I got both the regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot when I was pregnant last year. I have not had any issues with the flu shots in the past. For me, it is peace of mind. I do not have time to be sick with the full-blown flu, and it is even worse when children under 2 get sick as there is almost no medicine that you can give them to comfort them. You can ask for the the thimerisal-free shot that they normally give to infants, kids and pregnant women to avoid preservatives with mercury.

I got the flu shot while breastfeeding my 2 month old- no problems and she is now 13 months old. I also got the flu shot while breastfeeding my 15 month old who is now 3- no problems either. Truth be told, I only did it because I work in healthcare and was told I "had to get it". I would have chosen not to, but my babies were none the worse for it.
Good luck with your decision.

This is such a hot topic, so I won't try to persuade you in any direction, but I don't get the flu shot. I got the H1N1 last year because I was 8 months pregnant and the deaths from it were predominantly in women in their last trimester, but that was it. If you get the flu, keep nursing and you'll pass the antibodies to your baby.