Flu Shot for Baby

I got my daughter's first flu shot at 6 months (she's a heart patient). Just a reminder, they have to have a booster shot (another flu shot) a month after their first-ever flu shot. I think it's better to have the vaccine & be protected from a bad case of the flu

My granddaughter took the shot last year at 16 mos. and done fine. both of my grandchildren take them. Talk to her doctor about it. J.

I would not. The ingredients are full of toxins like mercery. Research long and hard before you do any vaccinating!

Hello S.,
My son is 14 months old and I took him to the doctor and he got his flu shot, he did just fine with it. My suggestion is to go ahead and have the flu shot given to your 13 month old.
L.

Just understand the h1n1 shot and the flu shot are two different ones. They are highly recommending both shots this year. I worked in child care for 11 years so both my kids have had flu shots since they were old enough. It helps to keep them from getting the worst symptoms of the flu, doesn't prevent but just helps from the full set on flu. My husband and I both work for our local Police dept. and we are being told all employees need to get both. Check www.cdc.gov for more info. If you don't get them for your child at least get them for you.

I can't tell you what to do but I can tell you that I will not be giving my child the flu or the H1N1 flu vaccines because they both contain mercury/thermosel in them. I will be making sure he gets enough vitamin D instead.

I understand the fears people have of vaccines--I too worry that they put all kinds of junk in there that they shouldn't--but my friend in Texas lost her previously healthy beautiful boy to flu when he was four. I can't imagine her pain. I would rather risk the possible (rare) side effects of the vaccine than be one of the thousands who loses a loved one this coming flu season. Each family must makes its own decision though, and I know it isn't easy. I wish we could have more faith that our shots and medications were as safe as possible!

As others have said, it comes down to what your gut tells you to do. For my son (and husband and self), I choose to have the shot. In my mind, it's 1 day of arm tenderness vs. a possibility of a week of yuckinesss (which also means I miss a week of school and work). He's has done very well on the vaccine. He's in daycare, I am in nursing school, and my husband delivers packages which puts us all at high exposure risk. In the long run it's what works best for my family.

My husband's a nurse and a huge advocate of vaccines, because in the long run you're less likely to get very sick from a vaccine (due to how the immune system works) than you are able to avoid people who may have the flu. Despite all the fretting about swine flu (H1N1), more people die of the regular flu than have ever caught swine flu, and those who die of regular flu are usually the very young and the very old. I had the flu at age 18 and it knocked me out for two weeks.

It is also recommended that people who care for the very young and the very old also get flu shots, so you personally don't get knocked flat with the flu.

I can't remember how old the baby can be before they'll give them a flu shot. I have always given my girls one and they do just fine w/them. I'd rather give them a shot then risk them getting the flu. My oldest is in public schools now, so I plan on trying to protect her and my 2 lil ones still at home. Plus me having to take care of them and also expecting.

Absolutely! The seasonal flu vaccine is a dead virus so it will not harm your baby. Your baby may get a small fever and feel bad for a day or so after, but that is normal. That doesn't mean your baby has gotten the flu (unless it was already in your child's system when they actually got the vaccine), it only means that your child's little immune system is fighting off the flu, which is actually better b/c it is boosting her immune system. I work for a hospital and this year is extremely serious when it involves the flu (seasonal flu and of course the H1N1 (swine) flu). I strongly advise you and your family to get a seasonal flu shot. The H1N1 flu shot has not been released and at this time they are unsure of how many doses will arrive, but according to the hospital, the people that are the most high risk are children, pregant women, young adults, healthcare workers and of course people with medical problems and they will be the first to get the new vaccine. I am getting my whole family vaccinated and every year I have.. I have a 5 and a 2 year old. Hope this helps. Good luck! And try to stay as protected as possilbe :0)

I was all set to give my son the regular shot last year, and then my pediatrician gave me some info that changed my mind. First, in adults, only about 40-60% of flu shots given actually work. Second, the CDC recommends the flu shot as a money-saving thing...it's more expensive to treat one kid for an infection caused by the flu than it is to vaccinate 100 kids. Third, there are no studies to determine side effects in kids, and they DO occur and can be bad (guillan-barre syndrome is one of them). Fourth, a flu shot only gives you immunity for one season and only for the exact 3 flu types in the shot. Getting the flu gives you lifetime immunity to the particular strain that infects you. Fifth, the kids that die from the regular flu are ALMOST always those with other medical issues (asthma, cerebral palsy, immune disorders,etc). So, I concluded with his help that healthy kids really don't need it, but kids with other problems do.
However, the H1N1 is a different animal and I will probably go ahead and vaccinate for that one. My pediatrician agress on that one. Hope this helps.

Both of these vaccine come in "thimerosol free" (preservative that uses a form of mercury) versions. You can confirm this by contacting your pediatrician. We've gotten them for years and are signed up to get both with our pedi this year. The seasonal virus vaccine is a killed virus. It cannot give you the flu, but can protect your baby from a disease that kills thousands. Our neighbor's child was 3 when he got the seasonal flu. He was rugged and healthy- NO other illnesses. As he was recovering, he caught pneumonia (which is how healthy children die from flus much of the time.) He died within 48 hours of getting the flu even with world class ICU care. H1N1 has killed a number of healthy kids in the U.S. (more with problems, but still a bigger number than expected healthy kids for the very beginning of a flu season. I would be especially ooncerned about getting that shot as no amount of handwashing is going to keep you from breathing it in and it's spreads like crazy. Infectious droplets can travel up to 3 feet and stay in the air for very long periods of time.

do your homework on vaccination. look at ALL the info that's out there both pro & con. then go with your gut. what does it tell you to do? we don't take the flu vaccinations because of the thimerisal that's in them, but my son also has underlying issues so, it's the best decision for us. you have to get the info & then decide what's best for YOUR family...i really do urge you to inform yourself on the negative AND positive of vaccines, though. knowledge is power...

I took the flu shot for years and every year, I got the flu. In the ten years since I quit taking it, I have gotten the flu twice.
My daughter has never had a flu shot in her 19 years, and has had the flu only a handful of times.
So I would NOT do it.

S.,

Vit D3 will be a much better defense.
Before you consider vaccination please do research.
Here are some resources to help you get started.

If you have any trouble opening these go to www.mercola.com (he is a medical doctor) and sign up for his newsletter. You can put FLU SHOT in his search engine to find the below articles and many others.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1...

"The Flu Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu, nor Protect Against the Vast Majority of Flu-Related Deaths"

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/0...

Please let us know what you decide.

Blessings,
A.

The OLD flu shots had Thimerosal and Mercury, but the newer ones don't. If your baby was one of the 36,000 who die each year due to complications from the flu, how would you feel? How many die from flu shots? I think it is zero or close to zero. The young and the old are the most likely to die from the flu. Read all of the information and go with what makes the most common sense to you!

Of all the vaccines, I would definitely forgo the flu vaccines. Flues are constantly mutating so what you're getting in the shot is not for the current flu. People, young and old, get sick with the flu. Most do fine. Unfortunately some do not -- they generally have an underlying illness. Allow your body to do what it's supposed to do naturally. It will be stronger for it. If you do decided to get the flu shot, read up on it and its side effects. I would not give a baby or anyone the nasal mist flu vaccine. It contains live virus which will make you sick and can be transmitted to others for up to 3 weeks.

There is a flu vaccine for little ones that is squirted in their nose. We got it for our little ones this year. Ask you doctor about it.

My daughter has had a two flu vaccinations (first one when she was 9 months) and has always done well with them. No problems and has never had the flu. Definitely research them online but to me the symptoms of the flu can be detrimental so that's why we have chosen to vaccinate.