Flu shot merits?
Quite honestly, I’m not sure that the flu shot has merits.
As always, the topic of vaccination is a touchy one. Many will disagree, some quietly, some loudly (and I don’t mind being disagreed with, so long as you keep it polite).
I was asked a while back what I thought of the flu shot, and seeing how flu season is upon us, I thought I would just briefly give the reasons why our family won’t be immunized this flu season (or any other).
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1) Flu vaccines, just like all other vaccines, have very sketchy ingredients. To name a few:
- Mercury (seriously, straight out, there is mercury is some- though not all- vaccines. Mercury is a severe neurotoxin!!!)
- Thimerosal (a fancy name for mercury, still in many, many vaccines)
- Formaldehyde (you know, the stuff you used in high school science class? It is a serious irritant to skin, eyes and the respiratory tract, as well as being carcinogenic, among other effects)
- MSG (neurotoxin)
- Antibiotics (several different kinds- these weaken the immune and digestive system)
- A whole gamut of other nasty chemicals you really don’t want in your body (or your kid’s bodies!)
(To view the ingredients in other vaccinations, check out this excellent site)
2) It’s not highly effective, nor do I believe it to be necessary.
Part of the gamble of the flu shot is that each year, doctors and scientists must try to make a guess (albeit an educated one) and outsmart the viruses, by selecting the correct 1 or 2 that will happen to be the “biggies” that year. Some years, they do this fairly successfully, and the viruses are slowed down significantly. Other years, they miss the boat, choose the wrong flu strain and the flu spreads like wildfire anyways, meaning all those people just risked themselves by being vaccinated for nothing.
Not to mention, this quote from a CBC (Canadian) news article:
While the flu shot is becoming increasingly important, critics note
that it doesn’t work all the time. It’s 70 to 90 per cent effective in
healthy adults. The success rate is somewhat lower in children and
seniors.
Proponents of the flu shot cite one of it’s major benefits as being the fact that it helps to protect vulnerable parts of the population, in particular seniors and children. If it’s efficacy level is only 70-90% in healthy adults, and they’re not even willing to quote the success rate (only that it is “somewhat lower”- whatever that means) for children and seniors, then truly, how effective is it in it’s stated goals?
One of the most effective ways to avoid getting the flu is to focus on strengthening the immune system, so that it is more capable of fighting off infections when it comes in contact with them. In fact, one of the common complaints of the flu shot (this is not scientific, but merely anecdotal) that I have heard and read is that those who receive the shot often develop a worse case of the flu than they usually would. Why, I’m not exactly clear on, though I would suspect that it could be weakening their natural immune response in the process of “vaccinating” them (does anyone have any thoughts on this?).
3) Lastly, the shot itself can have serious effects.
Consider this preposterous paragraph from the above quoted CBC article:
Still, flu awareness campaigns are helping Canadians stay healthier.
Flu drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are easily available, although
they can have their own dangers: 10 Canadians have died after taking
Tamiflu, while at least 84 more have reported adverse reactions to the
drug. On Nov. 29, 2006, Health Canada issued an advisory about reports
of hallucinations and abnormal behaviour — including reports of
self-harm — in patients taking Tamiflu.
Edit: Thanks to a commenter for pointing out that drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza are not actually vaccines, but intended for once you have already contracted the flu. I stand corrected. 🙂
Additionally, the flu shot can cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome in approximately 1 in 100,000 people who receive it. This is an inflammatory condition where the immune system attacks the nerves outside of the brain and the spinal cord, which can lead to weakness and tingling and even to severe paralysis.
If these are some of the things that are being observed and reported on, then could it possibly be doing harm within our immune system or other parts of the body that we are not even aware of, causing unknown or long-term effects that may not be immediately evident?
Flu Shot Merits?
Final thoughts
All that said, the flu is inconvenient, uncomfortable and fortunately only temporary, very rarely causing long-term or more serious results in most people (yes, I know there are exceptions- there are ALWAYS exceptions to every generalization).
Why would I want myself (or my family) to receive a vaccination that includes dangerous and highly toxic ingredients (and if we want to talk small doses of toxins, let’s review this video), is less successful than the government and health organizations would have us believe, and is a risky shot in and of itself? Thanks, but I’ll pass.
I go a bit more into the best way to truly avoid things like the flu, by building a healthy immune system and taking extra precautions to boost our immunity during the winter months when viruses abound! To read and learn more, click here.
Hi! Don’t worry, I’ll keep it polite– just thought I’d post a comment for all the standard medicine-type people out there so that you can delete any hater comments with a clear conscience. 🙂
I’m not sure about Canadian vaccines, but I do know that in the US the flu shot does NOT contain mercury or thimersol anymore, and hasn’t for about ten years. What it does contain that many people need to be wary of is egg. If you’ve ever had a reaction to a flu shot, even a mild one, or if you are allergic to eggs, even mildly, you should avoid getting the flu shot and take other precautions like handwashing, vitamin C, avoiding crowds, etc.
That said, the flu shot is actually the safest way to get vaccinated against influenza. It is a “dead” or inactive vaccine, vs. the nasal vaccine which is a “live” attenuated vaccine (in other words, it can actually give you the flu if your immune system is down).
What many of us think of as “the flu”, i.e., sniffles, body aches, and feeling cruddy for three days, is not really why health departments want everyone to vaccinate. What they are fearing is a flu pandemic like the one that killed 21 million (that’s right, million) people in 1918. It was called the Spanish Influenza although the research says it probably started in army camps in the American west. Flu drugs, like Tamiflu, are not terribly effective in these circumstances since they must be taken within 24 hours of infection to be useful, and most people don’t start to feel bad until 48-72 hours.
The flu shot, like most vaccines, works on the principle of herd immunity. If most of the people are mostly immune, it’s harder to build up an effective reservoir of disease for the virus to keep replicating itself. The hope is that, since there is no way to predict which year a pandemic might occur, if we vaccinate every year we can minimize the mortality that the next pandemic will bring. Thankfully the flu virus is fairly fragile, as viruses go, and can be killed with soap and water. However, it can live on surfaces (read: shopping cart handles and light switches, and used kleenex). During flu season, whether or not you’re vaccinated, you should wash your hands regularly and certainly as soon as you come home from a public place. If there is a flu going around where you live, I’d even consider avoiding public places like stores, etc. until it subsides.
My only thought on folks who get the flu more severely after getting a flu shot is this: they did not get the strain of flu they were vaccinated against, they got a different strain. So it is possible they got a more virulent strain; it is also possible that had they not been vaccinated, they would have gotten the flu twice (two strains). They may also not have carried a high enough level of antibodies in their blood to fight off the flu they were vaccinated against, but that would have nothing to do with the severity of the flu they got– they would have gotten the same sickness as everyone else.
In short (I know this is a long comment!) I vaccinate against the flu because I have a baby and elderly relatives, and I don’t want to kill any of them with the flu. I also do it out of public duty so as not to spread an epidemic. But unlike some other vaccines, this is not something I see as important enough to warrant legislation. So to each her own.
@Raven,
I know this is one year later, but I’d like to reply to that. I worked in the vaccine sales customer service department of a very large US & UK based pharma. company, and there are “traces” of thimerosal/mercury in every vaccine, include influenza vaccines.
@Niki,
Sorry, I meant in every influenza vaccine. Not sure about every other vaccine, as I was transferred to an influenza-vaccine-only department shortly after being hired and remained there until they laid me off.
All I can say is “Amen” to that. The fact that there are a very slight few people/children who die from the flu does not, in my opinion and for my family, make the other risks associated with the vaccine worth it.
It is always worth it to work hard to keep our immune systems strong by healthy living/eating rather than look for some quick fix that MIGHT protect us. I know that MANY disagree with this but I thank you for posting on it!
Andrea
@mom24,
What an articulate and knowledgable layman description of the science behind vaccination development.
Thank you.
What great tips on staving off colds also. I am bookmarking this page.
Mercury is in many things, I avoid the new energy saving light bulbs just in case they break, but I do get a flu shot.
Each family must weight their own situation and health. Our twins, born at 26 weeks gestation, COULD not get ill without risk of complications that would easily land them in the hospital or worse. –yes we are an extreme case, but sadly not uncommon enough
We all had our flu shots and RSV monthly shots for the babies in 2005, 2006.
We did all the hand washing, etc, etc. and we did not go out AT ALL with the babies and we did not have ANY visitors for both flu seasons besides grandparents and early intervention therapists or nurses.
This would not work for developing toddlers/preschoolers though who need to be out interacting with people and children. Vaccinate and play has been our motto for 2007 and 2008, but we can’t seem to get our hands on the vaccine in 2009.
My family and I are taking a homeopathic flu prevention treatment and it’s been good so far. I’ve heard lots of good things about it and hope that it works as well as I’ve heard. It’s called Influenzinum and I think you can find out more from this website: homeopathyworks.com
Oh, Thanks for the post, I got the flu shot once a few years ago and it was the last time I’m ever getting it for me or my family!
Oh, and btw, Tamiflu etc. are not vaccines, just to clarify; they are virus replication inhibitors. Sort of like antibiotics but for viruses, if that makes sense. You have to be sick already for them to do anything– and frankly they are not very effective drugs anyway.
Raven-thanks for posting correct information about the flu vax. This is one my family cannot do without, as my husband is a physician and brings home who-knows-what for the rest of us. I don’t think the public is aware of the actual number of deaths resulting from complications of the flu virus. We select vax and do opt for many holistic choices over mainstream medicine, but as always, there are two sides to the story. For every issue that I make about doing things naturally or non-interventionally, there seems to be a decent argument from dh’s perspective(mostly boiling down to legality reasons these days), and vice versa. I’m very thankful there are options for people to choose how or when to take care of their families. God bless you all for choosing what is best for you!
Thanks for the polite comment, Raven! You’re welcome to disagree with me anytime you like. 🙂 And thanks for the clarification about Tamiflu, etc. I can actually see now in the research I did that I misread what they are used for.
And you are right on about the egg content of the flu vaccine and the concern for those with allergies. But I have to disagree strongly with you on whether or not the vaccines contain mercury or thimerosal.
These are the American 2008-09 approved vaccines:
Fluzone, Fluvirin, Fluarix, FluLaval, Afluria, Flumist (this is the only one with a live vaccine)
These are the Canadian 2008-08 approved vaccines (as far as I can tell):
Fluviral, Fluzone, Vaxigrip
If you visit this web page (http://www.novaccine.com/specific-vaccines/vaccine.asp?v_id=16), you can find detailed information about each vaccine by name, including the ingredients in each. Each and every single vaccine listed above (except for Flumist, the live nasal vaccine) includes either Mercury or Thimerosal or both! Every one!!!
Perhaps people are being told that they do not contain these dangerous and toxic ingredients anymore, but it is simply not true! Please, check it out for yourself!
Andrea, you’re welcome!
Ginger, thanks for mentioning homeopathics. We use them a little bit, but haven’t in relation to flu prevention, but that’s something that I will look into!
Mommaren, I appreciate that there are certainly two sides to every argument, and I recognize that in many of the choices that I make, there are always aspects that are not clear cut and that can complicate the decision making process. Thanks for adding your perspective!
Hi! I didn’t really belive in the flu shot, eiter. In fact, I got extremely sick the first time I had one. balloons and all to get better… But my husband didn’t get the shot last year and was home sick from work for two weeks. My son and I got the shot and were only sick for two days – much less so. We all got it this year and were able to request a preservative free version. I know it’s not great, but I sure am thankful. Especially with my son’s asthma. Now the spray? Not quite sure I’d ever feel comfortable with that one…
i stay away from the flu shot for all the reasons you listed, instead i practice care when in public. i try not to pick up the bug, and stay away from others if i catch it.
I’ll look at the website you suggested; I am always a little leery about only looking at anti-vaccine sites however. I was going by the official ingredients listed on the vaccine packaging here (I am an RN and although I’m not administering the vaccine this year because I’m not working, I do make it a point to read the packaging on any medication I get/give). So I suppose the vax manufacturers could be lying on their packaging– or possibly I’ve only looked at the additive-free versions, I couldn’t swear which brand we’ve gotten. Thanks for being sweet about my comment; if all people who are worried about vaccines were as nice as you, the healthcare industry would be much more accepting of them. 🙂
OK, I know I’m taking up all the comments room but I went to the website and the brand I’ve had is Fluvax, I did not see mercury or thimersol in the ingredients that they list. Am I missing it? Or does it have another name?
Coming out of lurkdom to post a comment : ) As someone who was forced to get a flu shot this year, I wouldn’t recommend them. I am completing my dietetics internship at a hospital and they required me to get one. Otherwise I would not have. I had a runny nose the day I went in to get the shot. By that night I was sicker than I can ever remember being with a cold. I had horrible sinus pressure that lasted 4 days and my cold ended up lasting 2 weeks. I have no doubt that my body couldn’t handle fighting off both the cold and building up the immunity to the flu viruses. So if anyone is thinking about getting a flu shot, I wouldn’t do it if you feel the slightest bit sick. (The pharmacist did ask by the way but I was dealing with a deadline and had no choice but to go ahead and get it.) My opinion is that there is no need to get the shot if you are healthy. Maybe there is some benefit in the elderly but I am not convinced about that either.
Raven, I wish all my dissenting commenters were as sweet and well-behaved as you! 🙂
I looked up Fluvax, and you’re right, no mercury or thimerosal. I didn’t see Fluvax on the list of 08-09 approved vaccines, but since you’re an RN, perhaps you know that it is being used? Here’s where I found the list of current vaccines: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/dosage.htm#tab2.
If I knew that there were more vaccines minus the harmful preservatives, I could definitely be a bit less opposed, for sure, so I’d love to know that manufacturers are moving in that direction!
Thanks for sharing, Jen. I’ve also heard that it can be a concern if you’re already fighting something. It’s good that they ask, but too bad that you were under a deadline.
For those that would like a less biased source of vaccine information, the FDA has a page addressing Thimerosol here: http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/Thimerosal.htm
The chart on the bottom says that there is a version of Fluzone doesn’t have Thimerosol but I didn’t see anything about Fluvax, possible because it isn’t an 08-09 approved vaccine.
I agree with Raven on being suspicious of websites that have an agenda. I might use them to look for initial information, but I like to find another credible source of information to verify that the information is correct, or complete, before I make a final decision.
Stephanie– it’s your blog, one should be polite, just like going into someone’s house… you’d think. 😀 I never understood hater comments. Why don’t they just go read something else?
Anyway, I think that while the CDC brands this year do not include Fluvax, Fluvax still put out a current vaccine? Our public health dept. might have had a multi-year contract with them. Either that or I am completely remembering the brand name wrong; I do know that the vax I worked with was Fluvax but like I said I’m not working this year (thank God). The CDC list looked like it was mainly for dosing, but if those are the only brands with the current virus, I must be remembering wrong. I do know there is a big push here in the States to get additives, even ones that have marginal usefulness like aluminium, out of vaccines, so hopefully there will soon be additive-free options available everywhere.
Thanks for all the info, it was interesting reading the comments too and seeing different opinions. Its such a touchy subject.
I don’t have much more to add. We don’t do the flu shot here, although I did get it once about 10 years ago (or maybe less….it was when I think it first came out, I was a teenager) when I didn’t know anything about it. We do some vaxes here but haven’t chosen to do the flu one, for various reasons…the main one being I don’t think its all that effective for the chemicals we would be exposed to. Also a controversial comment…
I do find it hard though since I seem to get the flu A LOT. I used to get it once or twice a year, my whole life. I am not exagerating. Since becoming a mom in the last almost 3 years I have had it 7 times. One time was extremely severe, and it was affecting many, many people in my community, even those who had the flu shot (I guess it was a new strain). It knocked me out for over a month. So because I get the flu so much, I get so many comments about how I should get the shot from well meaning (although not always nicely-commenting) friends and family and aquaintances. I feel like hiding whenever I get the flu and not telling anyone since I get attacked. I wish everyone was more respectful like they are commenting here.
I would be interested in hearing about how to avoid the flu naturally. I do wash my hands a lot, especially after being in public, but avoiding shopping and church and play dates etc. is not an option especially here where it is often way too cold to be outside for very long in the winter when flu is the highest.
I am with you on the flu shot. We don’t get it here and I have to say that I am pretty quiet about it since I have had people basically say we are bad parents for not getting it or at least having our daughter get it. I am sure it has merits but my husband & I have been on this earth for 40 years without the shot and don’t intend to start now. As for the little one, she has had everything else and I am okay with that. Had she ended up with something that is thought to be caused by shots I would be telling you a different story, I am sure. I totally respect everyone’s choice on this subject. It is a very personal one.
I got the flu shot once in high school and ended up stuck in bed for several days feeling TERRIBLE! I have never gotten it again. Blah.
Stephanie,
I hope my last comment didn’t seem rude. I was in a hurry when I wrote it and when I came back to read more, it seemed more terse that I had intended 🙂
Thanks for all the work you put into your blog, it’s such a great resource!
Hi Stephanie, I’m enjoying your blog! My hubby works as a healthcare administrator (which is pretty hilarious sometimes given that we’re homebirthing non-vaxers!) and cringes at the directive to push the flu shots. This is great info!
I just started my blog, come visit sometime!
Immunizations are scary, to be sure. I cringe every time I see that needle go into one of those sweetly chubby thighs – not for the needle prick, but because I can almost see all the “stuff” spreading all over their precious little bodies. I pray that it strengthens them instead of doing them harm.
It sounds cold and maybe too “scientific” or something coming from a Mommy…but for me, it’s a numbers game.
What are the chances that an immunization will do my child harm? What are the chances that a particular bug will do them harm if they pick one up? What are the chances that they’ll pick up a bug in the first place?
From what I’ve learned, and from my discussions with my very conservative and cautious doctor, we’ve decided to have our kids immunized. From a plain numbers/odds perspective, we believe that having them immunized is the most cautious way to go.
The Thimerisol/Mercury thing bothers me a LOT. Just FYI – the “Flu Mist” – it’s basically sniffed up through the nose instead of injected does not contain Thimerisol. And the standard “well baby” vaccinations are getting away from it too. I’m told that there’s still lingering “old” supply out there with Thimerisol in it, but that the new stuff doesn’t have it. I’m a pain in my doc’s neck over this one – I demand the new stuff with no mercury.
Thank you for such a thorough and informative post. It’s always interesting to hear from someone with opinions that differ from mine…especially when they’re so well researched, thought out, an articulate 🙂
Wow, you’ve really picked a hot topic today.
My husband and I have done much research into the topic of vaccinations. My advice is to research, research and more research! (And not via internet scare stories, but by real books and studies.) There is so much more to vaccinations than even just the terrible ingredients.)
I am so thankful for our freedom of choice in this matter where we live (for now.)
I also will keep my arguement polite, as I work in the Healthcare field, specifically in vaccine manufacturing. The only part of any vaccine that contains mercury, is the preservative; that preservative name is Thimerosal. NO vaccines contain Thimerosal, except for a few specific Influenza Vaccines, but there are also Thimerosal-free flu vaccines which are available. Fluzone, for instance, has the “regular flu vaccine” (which does contain a small amount (25 mcg) of thimerosal; Fluzone also makes 2 completely thimerosal-free flu vaccines, one for 6-35 months of age, and the other for 36 months + in age; Fluzone also makes a Preservative-free flu vaccine for 18 yrs+. So, just one manufacturer, provides 4 different types of the influenza vaccine to cater to whomever is need.
Second, the process for determining the strains of flu covered by the vaccine (3 strains total) is based upon mounds and mounds of research, (it’s not just an educated guess). The southern Hemisphere gets their flu first, the strains shown down there, are usually consistent with what then shows up in the Northern Hemisphere. By researching these strains (done in Australia), it realizes the 3 biggest strains to affect global health. These 3 strains produce 99% of the reported flu cases in teh world. It is medical researched and scientifically proven that those who get the vaccine are 90-99% immune to catching the flu, there are so many medical journals, articles, and websites that give the speficic research done adn why it’s proven. Even if one of these strains is ineffective (like in last year’s season), the flu vaccine still protects you about 70% than the general public.
Now, the flu vaccine is never 100% guaranteed immunity, no vaccine boasts 100% coverage, however it will greatly reduce your symptoms should you contract the virus, if you get the virus at all.
Also, it is scientifically impossible to get teh flu from the flu shot, the nasal spray (FluMist) is a live vaccine and does provide more risk to catching flu-like symptoms. If people get sick following the flu shot, it’s because they were exposed to the virus before they got the vaccine, or very shortly thereafter. It takes 2 weeks before the vaccine becomes effective in your system, while the virus is only dormant in your system for 24-72 hours.
The flu vaccine greatly reduces anyone’s chance of contracting the virus, and ultimately even if you do contract the virus, it will greatly reduce your symptoms and is proven to be an effective way to prevent transmitting the virus to others in the general public.
I should add that all my information in based upon the United States standards for Health and Vacine Protocol. Other countries may continue to use thimerosal in their vaccines.
“These are the American 2008-09 approved vaccines:
Fluzone, Fluvirin, Fluarix, FluLaval, Afluria, Flumist (this is the only one with a live vaccine)”
I will also address these vaccines, as I have already done so with Fluzone.
FluVirin and FluLaval produce the regular flu vaccine, as well as thimerosal-free versions of the vaccines.
Fluarix is the “preservative-free” vaccine, it contains a trace amount of thimerosal (<.1mcg) compared to the "regular flu vaccine" of 25mcg of thimerosal. Afluria manufactures 2 kinds: one if the regular flu vaccine, another is specifically thimerosal-free (only for adults 18yo+) FluMist is the nasal spray flu vaccine, which is thimerosal-free. It is a live vaccine and is the only vaccine that can produce flu-like symptoms but it is still rare to actually get the flu from this vaccine. FluMist also gives greater immunity because it provides a muccul-membrane barrier that the injection does not as it is injected into the blood stream. Those with asthma or respitory problems cannot receive the FluMist vaccine. If you eat fish, or wear contact lenses, you actually receive more thimerosal (mercury-based preservative) from these than you do from the regular flu shot.
No problem, Mackenzie, I wasn’t offended at all. 🙂 As for mistrusting websites, I suppose my mistrust goes the other way (trusting those opposed over those that from the CDC, Health Canada, or the like). Guess it all depends on our bias, right?
Alisa, yep, I did pick a hot topic! My husband thinks I should pick more, but I’m a bit more cautious and only like to tackle them every once in a while (though I’ve noticed many others around the blogosphere tackling this one as well).
Raven, I feel the same way about being respectful on other’s blogs. And I’m glad to hear that vaccines are moving in the direction of less preservatives!
Holly, thanks so much for your input (and as always, polite disagreement is very welcome!). I appreciate your knowledge on the different vaccine brands. I was unaware of some of the thimerosal-free versions that are beginning to come out and am relieved to know that so many are available! And I didn’t mean to be disrespectful by saying that the strains were chosen by an “educated guess”. I do believe that it is truly well educated, and that much research and care goes into choosing them. I only meant to say that they cannot know for sure, and there is always an element of the unknown despite the care with which they are chosen.
Yay, thanks Holly for all the info– I didn’t want to go trolling through vax manufacturer websites for all the info myself. 🙂
I for one will the flu shot as will my whole family. last year my husband didn’t have one and he wound up going to the ER by ambulance because he had a fever of nearly 104 degrees and passed out from it. He then had to spend nearly ten days on complete bed rest. All the doctor allowed his to do was the bare neccessities.
I have never had a flu shot and will not be getting my kids vaccinated with one either. It is so nice to find people who have the same views re: vaccinations!
I read this article just a few weeks ago and recently found out that my cousin-in-law’s best friend just got the Guillain-Barre Syndrome from the flu shot. She literally began to become paralyzed from the legs upward and right now the doctors are saying the recovery period will be up to a year…assuming she is able to fully recover. I just cannot understand risking that kind of side effect to avoid the flu. It is just so sad to me. I’m glad that you take the time to help people learn these things.
I just was directed to your blog when searching for info on sprouting for my blog. Great resources! I did an entry on vaccinations, and ooh, it got touchy! It’s such a difficult subject.
Above all (we’re not-vax family), I wanted to also add that unfortunately there is not a ton of medical/ scientific info out there for us to defen our views because vax-related problems are rarley reported. Also, the medical community and pharm companies are so wrapped up in making money, they casually forgot about health.. anyway, enough of that. I wanted to post a great article on what to do with your children when the cold/flu hits them.
It’s great information and again, supports natural healing: http://mockabeenews.blogspot.com/2009/03/mute.html
I wouldn’t call the CDC exactly without agenda. They receive money from vax manufacturers so take what they say with a grain of salt. There’s corruption everywhere and with something as monetarily valuable as vaccines, BigPharma and the FDA/CDC etc. aren’t going to slam the door in the vax makers faces. They’re being handed wads of cash.
“I do know that in the US the flu shot does NOT contain mercury or thimersol anymore, and hasn’t for about ten years.”
I read that mercury/thimerosal was removed from the DTaP and other childhood vax’s but NOT from the flu vax. Also, I read that any doctor who still has vax’s containing mercury is allowed to dispense them until their stock is depleted. DOesn’t make me feel so safe at all.
My baby had a big allergic reaction to her 2 month shots so we never got any more. We claim religious, philosophical and medical exemptions. After her reaction I can not with clear conscience give her any more. The insert to the Pediarix she received also said that if the baby has a severe adverse reaction, they should not be given any more doses.
I don’t believe in herd immunity. If a vax worked as “they” all insist it does, anyone who got the vax would be IMMUNE. No need to worry about those who were vaxed from that point on. My not vaxing has nothing to do with anyone vaxing. My child is NOT a threat to anyone who is vaxed, unless the manufacturers of the vaccines are oh I dunno, LYING and just taking us all for fools to make money.
On top of that, the insert that comes with the vax’s has to state that it isn’t 100% i.e. vaccination does not equal immunization. A pediatrician even told me his personal story of getting vaxed and tested for antibodies. No antibodies. He had to be vaxed again. So you can get shot up all you like but how do you know you’re actually immune unless you get tested for antibodies? People who’ve had vaxes act like they’re God’s gift doing their “civic duty.” Your civic duty would be to get yourself in to check and see if you’re immune to anything and if you’re not, pay to get more shots. Over and over. Check on a regular basis. Some vax’s aren’t even MEANT To last long (wonder why? Maybe it has to do with each dose putting money in someone’s pocket.)
“The flu shot, like most vaccines, works on the principle of herd immunity. If most of the people are mostly immune, it’s harder to build up an effective reservoir of disease for the virus to keep replicating itself.”
The question here is, how can you know if a person who is vaxed is actually immune? You are assuming they are with no actual proof.
The statement that there isn’t any thimerosal in the flu vax’s is wrong, wrong and wrong.
Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
“Yes, the majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal as a preservative.”
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm
(NOt that I fully trust the CDC because they then go on to say how small an amount it is.)
“:A typical 0.5 milliliter flu shot contains 25 micrograms – or 50,000 parts per billion – of mercury.
The EPA classifies a liquid with 200 parts per billion of mercury as hazardous waste. The limit for drinking water is 2 parts per billion.
Using the standards set for methyl mercury consumption – the kind that’s in fish – an average 130-pound person getting the flu shot would exceed the daily limit by more than four times. A 22-pound baby would get more than 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe. And doctors are recommending that many babies and children get two flu shots this season.”
http://www.jsonline.com/news/29295284.html
I’m rather late to join in the discussion but thought I’d go ahead anyways. The past two years in a row I experienced a reaction to the flu shot. My lower back (base of my spine) and legs, all the way down to my knees, became numb and extremely fatigued. It was scary! This year I reported it to my local clinic who then passed the report on to the “powers that be”; their recommendation was that I avoid the flu shot in the future. This may be surprising, but I’m still somewhat torn about what to do for my kids. They really have fared well with the flu shot. Certainly, they’ve still had bouts of illness through the winter but… I’ll probably opt out now, especially that my youngest is four and that little bit stronger to fight things off.
A friends son had to be hospitalized from getting the flu shot. It was damaging his kidneys and almost needed to have both removed. It was so scary. The Dr said that this happens quite often and does not believe in flu shots. He said he had many other people in the hospital having horrible reactions to the flu shot. Luckily our friends son made a full recovery.
I have wasted so much money on drugs from drugstores and I have finally learnt the hard TRUTH. Drugs damage all you internal organs in time whereas Nature has the answer to all illnesses if you know where to look. Now when I get any kind of a Cold or Flu symptom, I take a Natural Flu Shot called Jusse Immune Boosting Shot and after 2 days all symptoms are gone and I feel 100% again. So now I’m taking a shot every day to boost my immune system and hopefully avoid any cold or flu symptoms. Highly recommend this and read up all about how damaging even Acetaminophen (Paracetamol/Panadol) or NSAIDs (Anti-inflammatory Drugs) are to your internal organs!