Advise on Flu Vaccine for 2 Year Old

A.,

I have a 9 month old daughter and she had her flu shot this year. I was adiment on giving her the flu shot because it worries me that she will catch the flu and be extremely sick. It is your decision, but I would recommend getting your 2 year old vaccinated because his immune system is not as strong as an adult therefore it will be a lot harder on him if he catches it. And yes they do have to get two shots. The first is the flu shot and the second shot which they should get no longer than 3 months later is the flu booster.

I guess I am the minority here, but I do believe in vaccines. Last year my daughter was too little to have the flu shot and well she got the flu at 5 months old. I do not work outside the home but my husband does. So he had it, then I got it and then she got it. And I was nursing full time at that point. Yes she received antibodies from me but she was still ill.
When I discussed the flu shot this year(she was 15 months for the first round) with my ped I requested the mercury free vaccine and she said that is the only type her practice would administer. So I was happy about that. Did my daughter get sick after either one of the shots-No, she did not.
My thoughts are that we are constantly exposed to the flu(playgroups, store outings, grandparents whom work with other people, husbands that work,doctors offices and friends/visitors) why not do what we can do to protect our little ones from something that can reek havoc on their little immune systems.
One more thing to consider, if your son were to develop the flu how would you ensure that your newborn doesn't get it? Just something to think about.
HTH.

One thing I would do is ask your pediatrician for the insert on the vaccine and read it at home before making your decision. Flu vaccines are some of the only vaccines left which contain Thimerosal (mercury preservative). If it were me- I would opt not to use the vaccine if it has this ingredient. Also- if you plan to breastfeed the newborn, that child will be protected by the antibodies in your milk. I hope this helps. All the best, S.

As a parent and a preschool teacher, I think the flu vaccine is a good idea. I always get mine, and my children's, to protect us from my student's germs and my students from our germs. Anyhow, you already had to suffer through this with your toddler, can you imagine doing it with both a toddler and a newborn (I have, before the vaccine was standard, and it is miserable, especially if you are sick, too)? And toddlers pick stuff up everywhere, no matter how hard you try to wash their hands and cover thier mouths. Just my thoughts. Oh, and two doses the first time is normal.

The flu vaccine for children under 3 does NOT contain thimerisol (sp?). For children over 3 and adults,it does contain trace amounts of it though. It is normal to give 2 doses of the vaccine a month apart, but only for the first time receiving the shots. My 10 month old son had his flu vaccine last month and did fine with it. Just wanted to let you know. Good luck with everything!!

The flu shot is great and they only have to get two doses the first time they receive the vaccine.

I have gotten flu shots over the years, but not always. I have twins that are 3 and a half. Last year I got cancer, so I had to get them one. It was fine. I got one for them this year too, no adverse reactions. This year however, my son got the flu mist it is a much nicer way of giving it. I believe getting this shot is much better than letting the kid get sick anyway. It may help so if they do get sick it won't be as bad.

I have 2 children (7.5 and 3.5 yrs old) they have never gotten the flu shot and I don't plan on giving it to them. I refuse to get it also (the strain is not the same as what's going on, I don't see the point.) My husband gets himself the shot every year and then... gets the flu - or just plain very sick. Mothering Magazine has an active (anti-) vaccination discussion board. You could probably find more cons there.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/
The problem I have with Flumist is that the people who were give the nasal spray are "supposed to avoid immunocompromised individuals for at least 21 days." No close contact. I almost feel like it would be my duty to keep myself and kids home so as not to run into anybody (at a store) who has a horrible illness, because it's a live virus that people shed. I can't stay homebound.... so the Flumist is out for us. http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/4/flumist_vaccine.htm
Do a search for "avoiding the flu." Among the things listed are avoiding stress, healthy diet, fresh air, exercise. Lots of TLC. Wash hands often. etc... One thing I do is avoid the mall or crowded superstores with my children during the flu season. It helps. The AAP directive to offer the Flu vaccine to young babies and children is rather new. That's not enough for me.

First off, make sure you have a Humidifier. Go ahead and get the shot for your little one, but keep an eye out. You can use baby Tylenol, if needed, which you will. When the shot first happens, just rub it softly for awhile and then every time you hold baby. You should be fine. Respiratory infection is no joke. You and your husband should know, it's not like it used to be, there are much more infectous, undiscribable, unexplainable illnesses out there and one could never be too careful. Talk it over w/ your Doctor then, you too decide. Good luck!

I would ask your preditrician about the mercury content of the flu vaccine. I have heard different things.

This (flu vaccine, in general) is such a hot topic - seems people are either very strongly for it, or very strongly against it. I have never vaccinated my children against influenza, but I make sure I never miss MY shot! I work in a hospital, and received it kind of coincidentally for many years. The year that I wasn't in the right place at the right time (to get the shot) was the year I got deathly ill with the flu, also transmitting it to my entire family! I have made sure that I have never missed the flu vaccine since. Another reason I really think you should consider it (and I'm surprised your doctor hasn't recommended YOU get a flu shot!), is that I believe YOUR immune system will be compromised after delivering, and you don't want to be down (and I do mean DOWN - I basically couldn't function for 3 weeks - with the flu) with two small children to care for! I had never had chicken pox, even though I had been exposed many times over the years (including close exposure to a good friend during my first pregnancy). I ended up getting the chicken pox seven weeks after delivering my second baby - and consequentially passing it to my two-year-old and my two-month old! That was the LONGEST six weeks of my life! I know people say the flu vaccine makes you sick, but it truly can't - it isn't a live virus. You can already be exposed to something when you get the shot that you coincidentally come down with, making it look like the flu shot made you sick, but with two hundred cold viruses, and however many flu viruses, that shouldn't be surprising. I would seriously consider it! It is a difficult decision, I know.

Good luck!
B.

p.s. I will also say that I have never gotten sick from getting the flu vaccine, and that yes, when you get a virus, you build immunities so that you don't get sick the next time you are exposed to that particular virus, but as I stated above, there are several cold and flu viruses, and you only build immunities to the one you catch, not to all of them, that's why you can catch more than one cold a year.

Once again, good luck!

Hi - the whole vaccine issue is a tough one, but I think it's great that you are at least questioning it. Personally, we didn't vaccinate our baby at all, so my personal advice would be against giving your two-year-old the flu vaccine. For me, there are many reasons... first being that I don't believe that what goes into vaccines is researched enough nor do I trust our government to make sure they're safe. Not to mention that there is room for human error during the process of making, distributing and/or giving the vaccine. You might remember reading about a major recall recently because of contaminated vaccines. Secondly, I believe that there is a fair amount of risk in preventative medicine that involves chemicals being directly injected to a baby or toddler's bloodstream. It seems to me that a strong immune system needs a clean, non-polluted body in order to work at its peak performance. This is especially true in a baby (or toddler) whose immune system is just being built, so to speak. So, to me, giving a flu vaccine undermines an already amazing system that was built for keeping us healthy.

I can understand why your pediatrician wants to keep your 2-year-old away from colds and flus, but she is ASSUMING that IF he got anything, it would go directly to his respiratory system and there is really no way of knowing that, nor do I believe that's there's anything that would point to that happening. My gut reaction was that if your son had some respiratory issues, the last thing he needs is chemicals in there polluting him as a prevention based of your doctor's fear and assumptions.

I found an article in Parenting Magazine (Oct. 2007) recently, that I saved for a friend who was questioning the very same thing. Here's what it said...

"Need-to-know info from The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, by Robert Sears, MD... - Most flu shots in use today still contain some mercury. If you're concerned about this, be sure your doc doesn't use Fluzone from a ten-dose vial (it contains by far the largest concentration). The brand's single doses are mercury-free, as is FluMist. The other two shots, Fluarix and Fluvirin, contain miniscule amounts. Fewer than 50 children under 5 die from flu complications each year, according to the American Lung Association. Your child's flu shot is usually more about avoiding a really uncomfortable week - and preventing the flu from spreading to seniors, who are most vulnerable. If you breastfeed and don't work outside the house, ask your doctor if your baby really needs the shot. Nursing boosts her immunity and you'll bring home fewer germs."

I hope that info. helps. Good luck with finding the answer that feels right to YOU :)

i say if you are resistant to giving your son the vaccine, then don't do it. that may be your maternal instinct.

i personally don't believe in vaccinating, I have a 7 yo and a 3 yo who have done fine and are not vaccinated and never have been for anything. different things work for different people. i think the most important thing to do for your 2 yo old is just keep his immune system up by washing hands, giving him something daily for his immune system (we like Sambucol-which is elderberry syrup, all natural) or airborne everyday and multivitamins), also maintaining a good healthy diet is important too. i think approaching things more holistically is better than just injecting a dose of the virus into your system. it may work for some others, but i think it's unnecessary and actually putting it in your system doesn't make sense to me with all the different strains out there.

good luck! hope that helps!

Hi,
We did theFlu vac last year with our boys almost 3 and just 1 since we lived in North Carolina. The boys were always sick. They did 2 doses. We have since moved back to Irvine and I got the Flu shot for the boys now 4 and 2 since we just has a new baby 10 wks ago. The dr highly recommeded it. Good Luck so far so good

Hi A..
First of all, I am not into vaccinations either. I do not vaccinate my 18-month old and I am now 6 months pregnant and I will do the same with the second child. However my obgyn told me I should get a flu vacination this year because being pregnant I have more risks if I get the flu to affect the unborn baby, blah blah blah. So I figure it was the greatest good this time to get a vaccine. Well, I got really sick afterwards, and I usually never get sick except for a cold here and there. I had a horrible sorethroat, cough for 10 days. My 18-month old got sick too from me, but not as bad - I think because she did not get sick from the vaccine but she got sick from me.
It's hard to say if getting a vaccine was the best move, because the doctor says if I had the flu without the vaccine it could have been worse. But how can you know if it is really true.
I do know that every person who got this vaccine this year got sick like me (I am sure not everyone on earth had this, but coincidence is all my friends did have the same reaction).
I also do know that unfortunately when it comes to drugs and vaccines and there are people making money selling this stuff, chances are the money making is a big motivation behind pushing it. My personal belief.
Anyway, I guess my advice is: 1. be true to what you really feel is right, aside from any expert advice. When you do get the flu or any disease you do build up an immunity for that so getting a little flu makes it so you don't get that again.
2. even of you decided pro or con vaccines, you always want to look at the greatest good at that moment in time - but hopefully the information to get to make the decision is truthful.
Sorry this is so long.
Happy holidays!
I.

I would urge you NOT to give your child the flu vax. It can cause more harm than good, especially with a newborn. The flu vax is a live virus and spreads easily. I would recommend building up your sons immune system with herbs and supplements. Elderberry syrup is a must during this time of year. It strengthens the immune system and is safe during pregnancy. Preventive care, such as chiropractic, keeps the body strong and better fit to fight illness. My kids have caught two colds so far but they recovered quickly.

i agree with you on not getting the vaccine. A couple of years ago our Pediatrician insisted on the vaccine and we all ended up with the worst flu ever. Remember the vaccine only works for the common strain. there are hundreds of strains of the flu. It is hard but we cannot always prevent our children from getting sick. try and wash your childs hands often, keep them away from sick people if possible and make sure he takes his vitamins. We have not had the vaccine now for 2 years and I am happy to report that the 6 of us in my family have been flu free both years. Good luck and remember it is your child and you get to make the final call on all medical practices for him.

My daughter and I are "high risk", so we've always gotten the shot (she got her first at 11 months - and yes, it was 2 doses the first time). Some years, we get the flu, some we don't. To me, the potential to avoid ANY extra bouts of illness is worth it, as we both get more than our fair share year-round. Vaccines are a personal choice. If you are against it, then don't have your child get it.

Go with your gut feeling. Follow your doctors advice. I remember when our doctor recommended a pneumonia vaccine for our daughter. We were told that the same bacteria that causes pneumonia also causes many ear infections. We were glad she had it. She has not had another ear infection since. Before that she had 5 or 6 the first year of her life.

I say get the vaccine! What exactly are your concerns? If you read the research literature on it, it is safe. My son had one when he was 1, 2, & 3. Then he didn't get one the last 2 years because of the shortage and he most definitely got sick more often and more severe those last 2 years without one! We were able to get him one this year as the shortage is no longer. The very first time he received the shot when he was 1 y/o, he felt slightly warm for the first day after, but the Dr. said she wasn't worried about that when I called and said it would quickly subside, which it did. He never showed any discomfort with the slight fever. Since then he has not had any side effects from having the shot except for some tenderness at the injection site, which will happen with any shot given!