Should My 2 Y/o Get the Flu Shot?

Updated on August 26, 2010
K.F. asks from Sunbury, OH
16 answers

My son is 2 years old and his 2 year check up is coming up in 2 weeks. I know they will recommend him getting a flu shot, but I am not sure he should get one. He didn't have one last year and didn't get sick probably because I was a germ freak for the first time in my life! First of all I'm a stay at home mom so we really don't go out too much during flu season and anytime we would go out I would use the cart cover on shopping carts and use hand sanitizer and wash my hands like CRAZY! My poor husband would get attacked the second he walked in the door from work to go wash his hands and then I would spray disinfecting spray on anything he touched before he would wash his hands!! So, it does seem a lot easier to just get my son the flu shot, but here are my thoughts on why I shouldn't..

My husband and I have NEVER had a flu shot in our lives. We've both had the flu a handful of times and while it wasn't exactly pleasant, our immune systems did what they are supposed to do and we survived. Most of my friends have never received flu shots either, and my mom was in her 30's before she ever got one. So knowing things like that it makes me think why should I put unneccessary things into my sons little body when our immune systems can obviously fight these things off. My friend works in a doctors office and when I asked her if he should get one she said she wouldn't.

On the other hand, I am due with my second child in October and I am definitely worried about a newborn having the flu. I keep going back and forth if he should get one because what if he does get the flu and he gives it to the baby? I would just like some opinions, I'm sure I will get some from both sides which is what I want so thank you!!

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J.C.

answers from Lincoln on

I would say NO! The CDC has been pushing unnecessary vaccinations on our children for years. Enough is enough. Every person in the medical profession I've spoken to "off the record" has said they do not get them and they don't give them to their children. That says something right there.
Take the safe precautions you know to take and then relax.
Oh, please do not give one to your unborn baby. God has given you natural ways to protect your baby. Your breastmilk has important nutrients and antibodies that will keep your baby strong and healthy. There has been many times that everyone else in the house has been sick, but my nursing baby doesn't get it.

4 moms found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

Good morning KF, I say no, I would not have him get the flu shot. Every year they come out with at least one ,ore vacination that children should get. Also don't be such a clean freak, because if your children are not used to germs at all when they go to kindergarten they will get stick prequently. I was a neat freak and as soon as my oldest now 26 started kindergarten colds, ear inffections, before school always healthy. J.

4 moms found this helpful

R.G.

answers from Dallas on

The times I got the flu shot, (back in the day before I researched vaccines), I always ended up with the flu. Not from the shot but later, like the shot didn't work. Now I have kids and have learned a lot about these things. I choose to boost my children's immune systems naturally and opt out on the shots. Check out Super Immunity for Kids by Dr. Leo Galland...easy, healthy ways to boost immunities thru essential fatty acids in their diet. My toddler is never sick, even her pedi is amazed. Here's a link for the book on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Superimmunity-Kids-Children-Healthy...

3 moms found this helpful
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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

I will never get them for me or my kids! There's some good information about it on Dr. tenpenny's website at at www.thedoctorwithin.com. My husband has gotten one twice and got sick both times. It's mote a cold you need to worry about newborns catching. So keep up on sanitizing toys, doorknobs, etc. But a little exposure to everyday dirt is actually healthy. Use less hand sanitizer and more soap and water. Consider chiropractic care for everyone, spinal cord houses the nervous system which controls immune function and all bodily functions! I get sick less when well adjusted, and it reduces the severity if adjusted while sick. And yes breastfeeding will be best for baby to get your antibodies. HTH!

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

We always get the flu shot, and were especially careful last year (and encouraged everyone who has extended contact with us to get it) because we had a newborn. Flu can be deadly to infants, depending on the strain, and I just wasn't going to chance it. Even though I was super careful with everything, the baby still got sick several times with colds and once hospitalized with RSV. Big brother always brought germs home and there was nothing to be done about it. There are so many germs you won't be able to avoid, even with the most stringent hand washing and sanitizing, that my thought is, why not protect against the few that you can avoid? Illness is a fact of life, but if you can keep your little ones from some of it, all the better, I say!

3 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

My family never gets them, and I am no where near a germaphobe, in fact I hate all those gels people use, and I have never disinfected a shopping cart. My family very rarely gets sick, and I believe a big part of that is because I allow us to be exposed to germs so we have the immunity to handle them, and when one of us does get sick, in never lasts more than a day or two. We do get all other vaccinations for our children, I do not want them getting sick for no reason, we just have not seen a need for the flu shot, and we also skipped the H1N1 shots.

2 moms found this helpful
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R.D.

answers from Washington DC on

My husband gets ones EVERY year, even though I beg and plead for him not to. He ALWAYS gets the fly from the shot and then is down and out for a few days - which makes it hard on me. He rarely gets sick otherwise. My kids had the flu shots when they were 2.5 and 6 months old and I have NEVER spent more time in the doctor's office. They both got SO sick, so they will never again get the flu shot. We wash hands like crazy and just do our best to stay away from it. I think there is just as much risk of getting it if you get the shot as there is from not getting it. But you will get LOTS of different views on it. Good luck!

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

Absolutely get one. Your OB should recommend that you get one while you are pregnant, and anyone that will be around the newborn should get one too, including your husband and son, since your baby will be too young to get one. I get one every year because I have asthma. I don't know if my kids will get asthma or not, but it isn't worth risking my childrens' lives.

1 mom found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Provo on

I got the flu shot while still pregnant with my son. And when he was a month old everyone in my house got the flu including me. At the time I was still breastfeeding and O didn't get the flu.
The thing with flu shots, they don't know what strand of flu is going to be the popular one so they kind of just guess. So it's kind of just a toss up whether or not he'll get it.
I do suggest to let some germs into your house. If you don't then his immune system will be attacked the second he goes into any public place. Everyday we are in taking thousands of germs, but we don't know because our immune system is getting stronger by fighting them off. But I totally understand being overprotective, I was with my son for awhile.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

everyone...including you even though you are prego should get the flu shot. There are sooo many more pros than cons. If something were to happen to you, your 2 year old or newborn (like the swine flu break out last year) you would probably feel terrible for not taking the necessary steps in order to protect yourself. If your immune system is strong and you guys are healthy, you should not have a problem from it.

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L.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

Absolutely not! You are more likely to get the flu if you get the vaccine!Focus more on eating healthy, taking probiotics, vitamins c & d (get your vitamin d levels checked) The flu shot this year is combined with the H1N1 vaccine it which may not even be safe for pregnant women.

http://organichealthadviser.com/archives/shocking-h1n1-sw...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/0...

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D.K.

answers from Washington DC on

Definitely get him the shot. It doesn't take over for the immune system. It is a controlled exposure to the virus in order to put the immune system on alert and the flu virus is constantly mutating so you have to get a shot for the most prevalent strain of it for your area every year. I don't see anything wrong with doing this and I see a lot of benefits. As long as your child is not sensitive or allergic to any of the components of the vaccine, I can't see the harm is going ahead and doing it.

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

.

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M.W.

answers from St. Cloud on

My nurse told me that her and one other nurse did NOT get the shot and all the rest did. They were the ONLY 2 that did NOT get the flu! Everyone else did.

I vote NO! We will have a new baby this winter too and nobody in my family will be getting it. (Husband, myself, 3 year old and 5 year old.)

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

Yep, I always get one and my kids do too -their whole little lives and they're 2 and 4. Many people get mild cases of the flu that are like really bad colds, but if you've ever truly had a bad case of the flu, you understand why it kills people. I had such a case about 15 years ago, and developed walking pneumonia. I was on an inhaler for a month and felt so horrible for weeks I could barely function. For the first week I literally could NOT get out of bed except to stagger to the bathroom and had an almost constant fever around 103 (that's TERRIBLY dangerous for a baby). I was 26, and I think if a small child had it like I had it, they would have had to be in the hospital not to die. We're big fans of the flu shot at my house! Since my kids were born and we all started getting them every year, no one has even had a touch of it! We also don't go too crazy with the anti-bacterial stuff. Your kids NEED to build up antibodies! Regular hand washing and general cleanliness is great, but don't go overboard anti-bacterializing everything and everyone constantly! They need to come in contact with some of those germs on shopping carts because sooner or later, they're going to be too big to use a cover or to ride in the cart. Just get them to wash their hands when you get home.

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