Flu Shot - Sacramento,CA

Hello Kimberly: I have learned the importance of flu shots. When my husband was going through Chemo. treatments everyone had to get one (all 5 children and he and I ). This was to keep him safe. We have 2 in the family that have Asthma, they were the first to get them this year ( last week), again to give them a better chance at staying healthy.
Flu shots are so easy and a amall thing compared to being ill or taking chances.
So please give it serious consideration. I am taking my 80+ parents for theirs next week. I want them to have all the protection they can have. Good Luck, NannaG

I used to work in a clinic setting and was required to get flu shots every year. If I did get the flu, it seemed I'd get a very light case and was feeling better much more quickly than people who didn't get it.

After a couple of years in a new business setting, I realized that I really liked having that flu shot so got it at a local pharmacy. They have to follow the same protocols as in a clinic or hospital so it's completely safe (if it's a reputable pharmacy).

Since we now have a son (4) and an my husband's elderly mother living with us, we ALL get the flu shot since both of them are at higher risk. I think especially with the H1N1 virus, I'd plan to get it. Although that means you'll need to get the regular flu shot and then follow up to get the H1N1 when it's available (sometime mid-October).

Just plan to have an easy day or two after the shot as you may feel tired and a little achey. I find it varies from year to year with sometime no symptoms at all to other times, I've wanted to lay around a little and take it easy.

Hope this is helpful!

I myself have not gotten the flu shot in about 7-8 years. I just didn't see the need. Also, I have never gotten the flu, a stomach flu yes, but that is totally different. I have 5 kids (12,9,4 yo twins and 7 month old) and only my eldest has gotten it two times. She has asthma and was having a horrible cold season and her asthma had flared up so badly that her doctor recommended it for her since she was already so sick. None of my kids have had the flu either. I do not plan on any of them or myself to get it. I just teach them proper hand washing, cover mouth when sneezing or coughing and don't send them to school when they are sick. I also give them a travel size hand sanitizer to keep in their backpack, so they can use it at school anytime before they eat. We also eat pretty healthy and get plenty of exercise, and get enough rest which I believe is a huge factor. I send them to school each day with a healthy lunch from home, no school lunches at all. Also, I am extremly clean, but not a clean freak. It is essential not to be a germ freak and use antibacterial everything, that kills the good stuff as well. I use a lot of natural cleaning stuff. Hope this will help.

Hi Kimberly,
You may want to check past Mamasource postings on this since this same question was raised a week or two ago. Unless you have a compromised immune system why would you want a flu shot? They're not intended for everyone and come with potentially serious side effects. Vitamin D is a more natural, and safe, way to boost your immune system and ward off illness.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about vaccines. Here's the thing. Getting a vaccine does improve your immune system in that you can NEVER get the strain of virus that you have been vaccinated for. Ever! And you have the benefit of this immune system boost without having to get sick and battle through the illness.

Now, that being said, is it possible to get the flu even though you've been vaccinated? Sure. Like all viruses, the flu continues to mutate, and there are always many strains of it out there, so it's possible you'll come into contact with a strain you haven't been vaccinated for.

As far as I'm concerned it is absolutely worth it to get vaccinated for anything and everything there's a vaccine for. Getting vaccines at the pharmacy is the same as getting them at the doctor's office. They follow the same rules in both places.

Flu vaccines are safe and are effective against the strain of flu they were developed for. Why not take advantage of this technology?

My husband and I get them and think they are helpful. With twin girls, I can't afford to be sick!

For adults, it doesn't matter if you get them in a pharmacy. For babies in particular I think you should have them done in a pediatrician's office. Babies generally need two doses spaced about a month apart for their first flu shot.

Net, talk to your doctor and pediatrician and do what you think is best.

Dear K.,

Go with your own feelings. I personally have never had and will never have a flu shot. I think the best things we can do is keep out own immune systems built up, even taking extra supplements, using essential oils to purify the air (yes, there is scientific evidence of the power of essential oils to protect against viruses, bacteria and fungus). Do the same with your children. I spray my house often with therapeutic grade essential oils to purify the air inside my home (also good for autos), take extra supplements for immune building and even though I work in a space where many people who are sick come in, I rarely even get a cold. If you want specifics, just email me. I think the fear that the media builds is just that, fear-based. BTW, I NEVER get the flu - I've wound up taking care of the people who get the vaccination & then get the flu:).

My view - don't let fear guide you, let your own feelings and your own strengths guide you.

Blessings,
B.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.main/index...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The swine flu virus that has sparked fear and precautions worldwide appears to be no more dangerous than the regular flu virus that makes its rounds each year, U.S. officials said Monday.

"What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain of U.N. is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu -- how sick you get -- is not stronger than regular seasonal flu," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday as the worldwide number of confirmed cases of swine flu -- technically known as 2009 H1N1 virus -- topped 1,080.

The flu has been blamed for 26 deaths: 25 in Mexico and one in the United States, according to the World Health Organization.

Still, Napolitano noted, the seasonal flu results in "hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations" and roughly 35,000 fatalities each year in the United States. There are still concerns that the virus could return in the fall, in the typical flu season, as a stronger strain.

"We are cautiously optimistic that this particular strain will not be more severe than a normal seasonal flu outbreak," Napolitano said.

WATCH VIDEO: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.main/index...

This 60 minutes segment is from 1979, 3 years after the Swine Flu Vaccine Fiasco. Note that the head of the CDC at the time of the Swine Flu Campaign was employed in private industry at the time of this interview. This is a common phenomenon - people who work at high levels within the CDC often move on to lucrative jobs with the big pharmaceutical companies as a reward for helping those companies out with government contracts, such as vaccine mandates.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TOO: http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/cbs+60+minute...

IF YOU STILL ARE NOT SURE ABOUT GETTING THE SWINE FLU VACCINE FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILDREN, WATCH AND LISTEN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1z7KSEnyxw&feature=pl...

Mitochondrial Dysfunction includes:
Schizophrenia
Parkinson's
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Alzheimer's
Seizure Disorders

Autoimmune Diseases include:
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic Fatigue

Diseases and conditions that intensify toxic reactions:
Liver Disease
Heart Disease
Kidney Disease

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/
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http://twitter.com/stemcell4autism

"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport

Hello...you will get a wide variety of answers for this as there are strong feelings on both sides. My suggestion is that you talk with your dr. about the pros and cons, especially your children's doctor and make the best choice for your family. Take with a grain of salt what you read on the internet unless it comes from a website recommended by your doctor.

Personally I have been getting the flu shot for over 10 years (I was an elementary teacher before I had kids and they always offered it) and have never had the flu. My kids have always gotten the shot since they could and none of them have ever had the flu. This has been the right choice for our family. Good hygine habits are important, but personally I can't completely depend on them to keep us healthy.

If you do decide to get it, I would get it through your dr. if possible, epspeically if your kids get it, they should always get it through their dr.

I do think this is a serious subject and you should research before you make the choice for your family. I personally know of someone (young and healthy) that died from H1N1, so the vacine is the right choice for us.

Dear Kim:
I've been very involved with the autism community in my city for years and organize monthly meetings; I'm also an advocate for many parents and their kids with autism and related neurological conditions (most caused by vaccines). I have several internet groups and talk to parents around the world; a huge percentage of them blame the vaccines for their kids disabilities (autism, especially).
My boy got autism from the shots as well; but was about to die from the flu shot. I have seen too much devastation from flu shots with people that I know. My aunt got lupus from it; my friend's boy (8 yr old) was left blind and disabled (from his leg and arm) three days after the flu shot. I can tell you too many similar stories to you; but, your responsibility is to find the right info on your own.
Dr. Joseph Mercola has great info regarding this.
just go to: www.drmercola.com and find the info for the flu shots. This is the shot with the greatest amount of mercury in it (25 mcg); mercury goes to the brain and kills neurons. If you get a flu shot every year, your risk of getting Alzheimer's or similar conditions grow every time you get the shot.
Dr. Len Horowitz has written several books regarding vaccine dangers: www.drlenhorowitz.com

Please be ware and find the info in the internet: just write: flu shots dangers and you will get tons of info.
Good luck
L.

Hi K.-
I know everyone has their reasons, but I have never gotten a flu shot, and while I have gotten the flu here and there, I believe there are healthier ways to battle it. Keep yourself healthy, take your vitamins, eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies, steer clear of sugar, sodas, and juice, and wash your hands regularly. Make these habits and your health will improve. Get plenty of rest (as much as possible) too.
You may still get the flu here or there, but I think it's better to let your body deal with it verses forcing your body to accept the shot and have to try to fight it off.
It's purely my opinion, but until they tie me down and force it, I will not get a flu shot. =)
-E. M

You may get some passionate response about the flu shots. I can only tell you about my experience which is that I have gotten a flu shot every year for the past 10+ years and have not gotten the flu. I also have not had any reactions or difficulty with the actual shot. My twin daughters, who are now 3, have gotten the flu shots also. This year, my youngest got her shot yesterday since she is in the high-risk category due to her lung condition. I am not sure if our pediatrician will get another shipment of vaccine for my other daughter to get her shot. I got my shot at Safeway pharmacy and my insurance covered it. Pharmacies can safely give flu shots to anyone 11 years or order. Again, it is up to you whether or not you get the shot. Remember, the flu shot is based on the CDC's "best guess" as to which flu strain is going to be active. Good luck.

Catherine C is wrong.

You CAN get an illness you have been vaccinated for. They have proven that the immune response triggered in boosters is not a full immune response that you get when you get the illness.

Wooping cough(Pertussis) is a vaccine given to all children in boosters. A few years back High school children were coming down with pertussis across the bay area. I got it, and so did my children (to a lesser degree than me)and they had been vaccinated for it 6 and 8 years ago. I had been vaccinated for it 35 yrs ago. Turns out pertussis vaccine wears off after 7-10 years.

From all the research I have done, and having an autistic child due to boosters, I would NOT get the shot.

http://www.nutrimedical.com/news.jhtml?method=view&ne...

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=539

While in the USAF I was required to have a flu shot and got sick from it every year. I haven't had one in 13 years and haven't had the flu. My daughter has never had the shot and she doesn't get ill either.

Dear K.,
You will get about a million differing opinions regarding flu shots.
I personally never got one and yes, I would get the flu about once a year and be down for a couple of days as happens with many people.
Then, I had a boss who insisted that all employees get a flu shot and paid for it. I got so terribly sick. My arm was so bruised and swollen it looked like someone punched me and was so sore I couldn't even lift it. I ended up sick and at the doctor and missed work after my flu shot. Many people get shots every year and never have a reaction, but I did and I don't think I'll be getting another one!

Since you are a stay at home mom and homeschool your oldest daughter, I'm not sure to what extent you would be exposed to a serious form of the flu. It seems someone who works with the public or has children in school who are exposed everything on a daily basis would be at higher risk, but you should talk to your doctor or pediatrician about what decision would be best for you and your family.

Best wishes!

Hi K.,
This can be a pretty loaded question with strong opinions on each side but I wouldn't get it if I were you and not for your kids either. Most flu shot still contain harmful mercury and they really aren't necessary. Lots of research shows they really aren't even effective so I don't think it is worth the risk. Good luck with your choice.