Flu Vaccinations?

Hi C., just want to voice my opinion. Please visit following links. It's my little research on vaccination.

http://tagfoot.com/M./bookmarks/vaccines

http://tagfoot.com/M./videos/vaccination

Best wishes, M..

My kids just had their flu shot yesterday. My 4 year old was able to get FluMist. It is a liquid that goes in their nose and is more effective and doesn't require a shot. My 18 month old had his shot, but barely realized it. Both of my kids get vaccinated every year that they have been old enough, my daughter wasn't old enough her first year. We have never had any type of a reaction to the vaccine. My daughter is in preschool 3 days a week, my son is at home still.

Good luck!

My oldest son has had the shot every year since he was old enough to have it and my 14 month old just got his first shot. Neither has suffered any side effects and my oldest has never had the flu. Personally, I think getting the flu is much more dangerous than getting the shot as long as they have no health issues.

C.,

That is such a hard decision! I would encourage you to look at these sites and read carefully. There is lots of pressure on pediatricians by drug companies to push vaccines. Do lots of reading and draw your own conclusions.

http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2007/11/16/flu-shots-helpf...

http://vaccineinfo.net/

http://www.909shot.com/

http://www.nmaseminars.com/

Best wishes. There are many recommendations on this site for pedis who don't push vaccines, if you need to find a new one.

As other's noted, a healthy diet (little sugar, absolutely no high fructose corn syrup, etc.) and supplements like vitamin C, zinc and Sambucol (elderberry extract is a proven anti-viral) are the best approach to avoiding the flu. It was very bad last year in my younger son's class, but anytime he came home with the slightest hint of catching "the crud", I would give him the zinc and sambucol. He never missed a single day of school last year (nor did my older son).

My kids take the Emer-gen-C packets everyday. My younger son had a scratchy throat yesterday and followed the protocol of 5 zinc tablets and he felt fine. There are liquid zinc products for younger kids (also great for teens with acne).

If you do get a flu shot, PLEASE ask for the single dose type and/or READ the packet insert (bring a magnifying glass or reading glasses). If it has thimerosol (mercury) then DO NOT give that to your child (or yourself for that matter). The flu shots are the only remaining ones that they give to kids that may contain thimerosol. The FDA just recently agreed that mercury containing materials should not be given to children or women in the childbearing years (the mercury does transfer to the fetus).

Also, in general, vaccines contain aluminum to optimize the distribution of the vaccine in the body. Aluminum is also a known neurotoxin. Also, the source material for making the vaccines can be things like animal brains, bovine dairy, etc. More sensitive kids will react to these things.

In general, the flu vaccines are a gamble and usually only contain about 50% of the types of flus that will end up being the most active in a given year.

I have never had a flu shot even though I have a very compromised immune system. Yet, I have only had the flu twice, by following the basic nutritional guidance I list above.

I have gotten a flu shot every year and never got the flu. Last year I let my husband talk me out of it and caught the flu on Christmas, it was awful. My daughter who is 2.5 gets one every year and has never caught the flu. Good luck

I never bothered with it until I had kids, and I only got the flu once. However, I look at things like this - I did a lot of research, asked a lot of people, and interviewed a lot of pediatricians before I chose mine. I chose him because I believe in him to make the best medical choices for my children. Now I put all my trust in him. He thinks my kids should get flu shots every year so that is what I do. I also have started getting the shot because I feel like if I am making them get it, I should too! My son got his first flu shot three years ago at 9 months of age and my daughter just got hers at 7 months. My son also got one last year and just got the flu mist this year. Flu Mist is available for kids over 2, so definitely ask about that for your 2 y.o. You should also be aware that the very first time your kids get the flu shot, they will require a booster shot after a month. I am not sure if it is the same for flu mist. There were no negative side effects from either. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions. I know that giving additional vaccinations can be a scary thing.

Well, I'll just let you in on what I know and my experiences. My son came down with something awful back in May of last year, so he must've been 2.5. I believe it was the flu or it at least had all the usual suspects of being the flu. He laid on the couch for 3 straight days and was so feverish and in pain. He was sick for over a week. I was crying because I felt so bad that he was so ill. It was not the time of year for flu, so they didn't even test him (not sure if they even did testing for it back then, I know they do now). By the way, this is a kid who never stops moving, really and has never fallen asleep on the couch, except for at this time.

I decided, then, last December that I would get him the FluMist because I didn't want anything close to what he had, it was so awful. He had no reactions to it and was fine all season. I plan on doing it again, today. I read that the Mist can work even better than the shot.

On the other hand, there are anti-virals, like TamiFlu. My roommate actually came down with the flu last year and I immediately started on tamiflu or the like (there are more than one of the antivirals) and I didn't come down with it. I think my hubby took it too. I learned at that time that you can use the antivirals as a preventative or to make the flu get over faster and be more mild if you do come down with it. I had actually decided last year not to get the shot and just get the antivirals if I needed them because my body tends to react poorly to vaccinations (I feel awful for 24-48 hours everytime). I have an overactive immune system.

My son is 2.5 and this year will be his 3rd flu shot. We have never had any side effects from them. Knock on wood. I think your kiddos will be fine.

I agree with Stacey. We choose to ensure our health by eating healthy. These companies don't care about prevention they only care about money.

Our whole family has gotten the flu shot since I was pg with my 1st. We have never had the flu nor a reaction to the shot. This year both my sons got the flu-mist. It was so easy and painless!!

C.,

My hubby is a nurse and always recommends flu shots. However, you might want to look at the flu mist this year. Last year the research showed that a lot of people that got the flu shot, it didn't work because there were other strains out there. However, most of the people that got the flu mist were better off and didn't get that strain. The other thing that is better about the flu mist is that, because it leaves residuals in the nasal passage, it allows the leukocytes (germ/immune fighter cells) to attack the virus quicker than the shot does because typically the flu virus enters the oral and nasal passage ways. This can help reduce or even completely eliminate the virus before it reaches your system. The one draw back to the flu mist is that some people (just like with the flu shot) will get a cold...not the flu, but a cold. However, after getting it the first time you do flu mist, you won't get the cold the second year, whereas the flu shot does not work that way. Good luck!!!

flu shots are a must do around here! kids get sick so easily, why not protect them from something if you can?

I already got the flu shot this year for me. But I will not be giving it to my 11 month old. I asked his Pediatrician last time i was in about it, and he actually did not recommend it. B/c it has thimerosol in it. His opinion might be different for older children, but I did not ask.

My mom who is a nurse used to work at Walgreens and CVS giving out free flu shots, and yes there are those stories, but you really don't know if it came from the shot or not! Me, my husband and my 6 yr old daugher have gotten flu shots every year for at least the last 4 years and none of us have come down with flu. I think its worth it!

No one can predict how their own child, or another's for that matter, can react to a vaccination. There are just so many variables. The best thing to do is to be an educated and informed parent. I recommend the Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears.

I've always gotten the flu shot, my husband didn't. Since I met him, he always got the flu the same time each year. Last year, I flat out told him he was getting vaccinated. Guess what? He didn't get the flu! I also get my son vaccinated. I used to work in childcare, and always wanted to protect myself so I wouldn't get sick and have to miss work. The one year I didn't get the vaccine, I was pregnant, and I did get the flu. I think ultimately, it's up to you. But with your kids being in school, I personally think it's a good idea. It doesn't prevent every strain of the flu virus, just the most common ones. But it's always worked for me.

i get the flu shot every year and have never had a problem.. my daugher who is now almost 3 and my 18 month old son just got their flu shots today , they had them last year as well .. never had a problem!! the flu is horrible and can be deadly -- definitely protect them.. all of them!

I have an 8 year old girl and a 2 year old boy and I have never gotten them flu shots, so I can't answer your question about how they faired. But I will say that last winter they and my husband all came down with the flu and it was a horrible week! We will ALL be getting vaccinated this year!

Hi C.!
I have worked in doctors offices since I was 17 so it was pretty much mandatory I had my flu shot. I must say out of all the years I only have had the flu once. And Tamiflu made it worse. I took it within 48hrs like I was suppose to but could only take 2 doses. I had a bad side effect that was on the info sheet but I just wanted to get better at that time. My husband who had the flu along with me reacted better to the tamiflu and recovered quicker. You do not get sick from the flu shot. If you happen to catch the flu after you have received the shot it is a different strain of the flu. The vaccine is just a questimate on what the strain is going to be in any given year based on previous years outbreaks.
My children, almost 4 yrs and 20 months, will be getting their perservative free flu shot from their pedi tomorrow and hopefully since they are both in MDO and preschool they will be covered for this year. I'm not going into it 100% faithful that they will escape this flu season unharmed but as a parent it makes me feel better knowing that I am trying to keep them healthy. They also take their vitamins and extra zinc and echinacea every day!!

My 9.5 month old just got it and she gets the other half in 4 weeks, My husband & I both got one as well. I have always gotten a flu shot since I was very young due to asthma,never had problems,this was my husband's first time. Everyone is doing well this was about 3 weeks ago & none of us had any problems at all. I say well worth it & the whole fam. should get it , the Flu can be deadly in infants!

Vaccine May Be More Dangerous Than Swine Flu

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 9:54 AM

By: Dr. Russell Blaylock Article Font Size

An outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico this spring that eventually affected 4,910 Mexican citizens and resulted in 85 deaths. By the time it spread to the United States, the virus caused only mild cases of flu-like illness.

Thanks to air travel and the failure of public health officials to control travel from Mexico, the virus spread worldwide. Despite predictions of massive numbers of deaths and the arrival of doomsday, the virus has remained a relatively mild disease, something we know happens each year with flu epidemics.

Worldwide, there have only been 311 deaths out of 70,893 cases of swine flu. In the United States, 27,717 cases have resulted in 127 deaths. Every death is a tragedy, but such a low death rate should not be the basis of a draconian government policy.

It is helpful to recall that the Centers for Disease Control with the collusion of the media, constantly tell us that 36,000 people die from the flu each year, a figure that has been shown to be a lie. In this case, we are talking about 300 plus deaths for the entire world.

This virus continues to be an enigma for virologists. In the April 30, 2009 issue of Nature, a virologist was quoted as saying,“Where the hell it got all these genes from we don’t know.” Extensive analysis of the virus found that it contained the original 1918 H1N1 flu virus, the avian flu virus (bird flu), and two new H3N2 virus genes from Eurasia. Debate continues over the possibility that swine flu is a genetically engineered virus.

Naturally, vaccine manufacturers have been in a competitive battle to produce the first vaccine. The main contenders have been Baxter Pharmaceuticals and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the latter of which recently acquired the scandal-ridden Chiron vaccine company. Both of these companies have had agreements with the World Health Organization to produce a pandemic vaccine.

The Baxter vaccine, called Celvapan, has had fast track approval. It uses a new vero cell technology, which utilizes cultured cells from the African green monkey. This same animal tissue transmits a number of vaccine-contaminating viruses, including the HIV virus.

The Baxter company has been associated with two deadly scandals. The first event occurred in 2006 when hemophiliac components were contaminated with HIV virus and injected in tens of thousands of people, including thousands of children. Baxter continued to release the HIV contaminated vaccine even after the contamination was known.

The second event occurred recently when it was discovered that Baxter had released a seasonal flu vaccine containing the bird flu virus, which would have produced a real world pandemic, to 18 countries. Fortunately, astute lab workers in the Czech Republic discovered the deadly combination and blew the whistle before a worldwide disaster was unleashed.

Despite these two deadly events, WHO maintains an agreement with Baxter Pharmaceuticals to produce the world’s pandemic vaccine.

Novartis, the second contender, also has an agreement with WHO for a pandemic vaccine. Novartis appears to have won the contract, since their vaccine is near completion. What is terrifying is that these pandemic vaccines contain ingredients, called immune adjuvants that a number of studies have shown cause devastating autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus.

Animal studies using this adjuvant have found them to be deadly. A study using 14 guinea pigs found that when they were injected with the special adjuvant, only one animal survived. A repeat of the study found the same deadly outcome.

So, what is this deadly ingredient? It is called squalene, a type of oil. The Chiron company, maker of the deadly anthrax vaccine, makes an adjuvant called MF-59 which contains two main ingredients of concern—squalene and gp120. A number of studies have shown that squalene can trigger all of the above-mentioned autoimmune diseases when injected.

The MF-59 adjuvant has been used in several vaccines. These vaccines, including tetanus and diphtheria, are the same vaccines frequently associated with adverse reactions.

I reviewed a number of studies on this adjuvant and found something quite interesting. Several studies done on human test subjects found MF-59 to be a very safe immune adjuvant. But when I checked to see who did these studies, I found—to no surprise—that they were done by the Novartis Pharmaceutical Company and Chiron Pharmaceutical Company, which have merged. They were all published in “prestigious” medical journals. Also, to no surprise, a great number of studies done by independent laboratories and research institutions all found a strong link between MF-59 and autoimmune diseases.

Squalene in vaccines has been strongly linked to the Gulf War Syndrome. On August 1991, Anthony Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs admitted that soldiers vaccinated with the anthrax vaccine from 1990 to 1991 had an increased risk of 200 percent in developing the deadly disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The soldiers also suffered from a number of debilitating and life-shortening diseases, such as polyarteritis nodosa, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, transverse myelitis (a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord), endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s inner lining), optic neuritis with blindness and glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease).

The second ingredient, and one that greatly concerns me, is called gp120, a glycoprotein. Researchers found when it was mixed with squalene, the glycoprotein became strongly antigenic—that is, it produced a powerful and prolonged immune response to the vaccination. In fact, their studies show that with each dose, the intense immune reaction lasts over a year.

Now for the shocker—the glycoprotein-gp120, a major component of MF-59 vaccine adjuvant, is the same protein fragment isolated from the HIV virus that is responsible for the rapid dementia seen in AIDS patients.

Studies have shown that when gp120 is taken up by the microglia cells in the brain, it causes intense inflammation and makes the brain subject to excitotoxic damage—a process called immunoexcitotoxicity. This is also the cause of the MS and optic neuritis associated with vaccines that contain MF-59.

So, how would the gp120 get into the brain? Studies of other immune adjuvants using careful tracer techniques have shown that they routinely enter the brain following vaccination. What most people do not know, even the doctors who recommend the vaccines, is that most such studies by pharmaceutical companies observe the patients for only one to two weeks following vaccination—these types of reactions may take months or even years to manifest.

It is obvious that the vaccine manufacturers stand to make billions of dollars in profits from this WHO/government-promoted pandemic. Novartis, the maker of the new pandemic vaccine, recently announced that they would not give free vaccines to impoverished nations—everybody pays.

One must keep in mind that once the vaccine is injected, there is little you can do to protect yourself—at least by conventional medicine. It will mean a lifetime of crippling illness and early death.

There are much safer ways to protect oneself from this flu virus, such as higher doses of vitamin D3, selective immune enhancement using supplements, and a good diet.

Hi C....
I have gotten all my kids the flu shot. My husband and I get it as well. The first time I got it was right after I had my son and I had flu symptoms for about 3 days, plus recovering from giving birth so it was not fun. My husband has Rheumatoid Arthritis so he has a lowered immune system, so we have everyone in the house get it. My husband or my kids have never had the flu once they have gotten the flu shot. I just think with kids that young and especially if they are in a school setting the vaccination is necessary because those schools are like one big petri dish and the kids are the littel bacteria and viruses just running around. I think I would rather go through getting the flu mildly from the shot than gettin it without. By the way I have a 12 year old step-son, a 2 year old little boy, and a 6month old baby girl.

Good Luck!

Hi C.,

My son was first vacinated for the flu at a very, very young age. I can't remember exactly how old he was but it was definitely under two years of age. Since he was so young he had to get half of the dose first and then go back later for the second half. He gets vacinated every year and has never had any side effects at all from it.

C.

I didn't read the other responses, so I apologize if this is a repeat. I've never had a flu shot, and my husband gets one every year. Ironically, he is usually the only one who has ever gotten sick in the winter. I've never gotten one for my kids either, and until last year, they never got the flu. My husband was the only one with the flu shot last year in our house. (My boys are 6 & 3). My oldest boy got a really bad flu and was out of school for a week. He gets random fevers some times that last only a day and he's fine, so I didn't think much of it. By the time I got him to the doctor, he was too late to start the tamiflu. If I remember correctly, they have to start it within like 48 hours of the onset, and we were on like day 3 or 4. So, we had to let it just run it's course. Right after he got better, my 3 year old got it. The doctor assumed it was a different strand since my older son had been well. I got him to the doctor immediately, so he did the tamiflu and was only really sick about 2 days. During all this time, my husband got the flu twice. Once from each kid and was quite miserable. I was the one nursing the kids and my husband the entire time, and I never once got the flu. Not even a sniffle. I am going to get my kids their flu shots this year, but I probably won't get it for myself again. My oldest son hates shots and freaked out when I told him we were going the flu shot. Then, I asked him if he wanted the shot or to be sick like last year and he definitely wants the shot. I just hope he isn't like his dad and gets the shot and still gets sick. I taught first graders for 8 years, and before that was a substitute teacher, and during college and high school, I worked in daycares, so I must have an amazing immune system from the exposure to all the germs I've dealt with. :) Anyway, my husband is still irritated that he got the shot and got the flu twice :).