Flu Shot - to Get or Not to Get?

I know that each person has an opinion on this to some degree. I personally have never gotten a flu shot and I don't recall ever getting the flu. I have no intention of ever getting a flu shot either. I regularly hear about people getting the shot, and then getting the flu soon thereafter as there are different strands of the flu and the shot does not protect you from all of them. It really is a personal decision though. I just pass on it.

The people I know who have gotten sick after the vaccine get sick everytime they get it. I've never gotten one and won't start now. Nor will I have my kids get one. I've done extensive vaccine research and won't do it.

My uncle always got really sick every year after getting the flu shot. And so my mom never got us the shot ( all six of us) and we were and are all fine to this day:) I'm no pro but I don't like it and don't think it's neccesary.

Do you get the website on Dr. Mercola. Flu shots are NOT good. There is a lot of issues that flu shots have. Although the article is long I would read it. As long as you keep your immune system built up with a healthy immune builder you should not need any flu shots. This article is about ALL flu shots whether past or current. It also talks about HUGH FUDENBURG, MD - the world's leading
immunogeneticist and what he says.

N.
SAH Mom, Nane, Wellness Coach and I love Shaklee "Green" products. http://N..myshaklee.com

Here's some lengthly, but informative information regarding the Flu Shot and this year's media blitz promoting the flu shot. Hope it helps! (Immune Building Complex has kept my family extremely healthy since it became available!)

FLU SHOT FACTS Contains: thimerosal, aluminum and formaldehyde. It is that time of year again when many people are making the decision about whether to receive the flu shot. Our hopes in providing the following article is to provide you with facts that will better enable you to make informed decisions.

The flu vaccine, consumed faithfully by the public without question each year, is not without problems. The vaccine contains formaldehyde, a known cancer causing agent.
It also contains the preservative thimerosal, a derivative of mercury, a known neurotoxin linked to brain damage and autoimmune diseases. Aluminum is another flu vaccine ingredient and is also a toxic heavy metal that has been associated with an increased incidence of Alzheimer's Disease.

The influenza epidemic that hit North America so strongly in January 2000 was the worst in 5 years. Of interest is the fact that a large percentage of the elderly that contracted the flu did so despite having had their flu shots. One nursing home in Toronto recorded 32 cases of the flu; of those who became ill, 31 had been vaccinated
against the flu the month before. (Side note: There was an epidemic in my mother-in-law's nursing home last year as well, even though every resident and staff member received the flu shot in the early fall)

Please make an informed decision about this, and have all your questions answered. Vaccines are drugs and can come with side effects that can impact your health now and in the future. There are numerous articles available to you to help you decide what is best for you and your family.

Don't forget - inside of us, we already have everything we need to be truly healthy and an immune system that is designed to fight infection!

ACCORDING TO HUGH FUDENBURG, MD - the world's leading
immunogeneticist and 13th most quoted biologist of our time (nearly 850 papers in peer review journals) - If an individual has had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 - 1980 (the years of the study)his/her chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease is 10 times greater than if they had 1, two or no shots. When asked why Dr. Fudenberg stated that it is due to the mercury and aluminum buildup that is in EVERY flu shot (and in almost all childhood shots). The gradual mercury and aluminum buildup in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction. ALZHEIMER'S is now expected to QUADRUPLE. Randall Neustaedter OMD author of The Vaccine Guide says this: The flu vaccine gets the most-useless-vaccine-of-all-time award. Now the CDC is recommending the vaccine for children under two years old and all adults over 50. Don't fall for it.

Flu Facts
* Flu vaccine manufacturers are notoriously inaccurate at predicting the appropriate viruses to use in an individual year's vaccine, rendering the vaccine ineffective.
* Flu vaccine is relatively ineffective in those patients most at risk of flu complications.
* The vaccine has caused GBS in recipients during several different flu seasons.
• Those most at risk of flu complications probably share a higher risk of adverse reactions to the flu vaccine as well.
• Fluzone is the new flu vaccine for babies (recommended 6 months to 23 months). You can get it as a 0.25 mL prefilled syringe (for pediatric use) and as a 0.5 mL prefilled syringe. Fluzone contains mercury: 25 µg mercury/0.5 mL dose. It also has chicken embryos and formaldehyde and Sucrose, Sodium phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Mercury, Gelatin, Polyethylene Glycol p-
Isooctylphenyl Ether, Hemaggluttinin. Dr. Fudenberg's comments are from his speech at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington VA September, 1997.
Alzheimer's to Quadruple statement is from the John's Hopkins Newsletter of November, 1998.

Our question? Is it worth the risk????

I personally dont get the shot and I refused to have my children get it as well. Their doctor wasnt thrilled. I believe that a shot doesnt replace good old fashioned health messures to prevent the flu. I take great pride in making sure my kids take their vitamins, eat right, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, etc...and if they do get the flu we deal with it. P.S. neither of my kids have (knocking on wood here...) gotten the flu. I dont usually get it either...
It is a personal choice for each of us, but I would suggest that if you have reservations about it, DONT do it. Have a great and healthy day!

I used to get all vaccines, but over the past 10 years, my research has turned me completely around. The main problem with the H1N1 flu shot is that it is already getting reports in Europe about nerve damage and ill side effects. Also, it contains mercury (no level of mercury is safe for internal use) and therimosal. So no way I am injecting that into my body or my children's bodies.

In regards to the seasonal flu shot, same thing, the metal poisoning doesn't make it worthwhile to me and it uses the worst of the previous year's viruses, so no protection against this year's. If you are worried about getting seriously ill, the statistics show that you are more likely to get a series of colds and illnesses after the flu shot than to actually get the "real flu." Plus people don't die from the flu, they usually die from pneumonia or other infections contracted from the hospital when they go in for treatment!

In numerous groups I have seen families who went from being regular flu shot takers that dealt with colds all winter long to switching to no flu shots and hardly ever getting sick.

It's important to get sick naturally and build up strong immunities. It is also important to have a strong healthy body so when you get sick it is not as strong or dangerous to you and your family. Eat right (sugar weakens your immune system), exercise, get some sunlight (provides Vitamin D which is proven to fight off the flu), wash hands with soap and water and practice good hygiene habits, and when sick, stay home and recover so you aren't exposed to other stronger illnesses while your immune system is weak!

I had the flu over 10 years ago a month after getting the flu shot and spent 2 days in the hospital. Since then I have never had the flu shot or the flu and very rarely get sick! I also take colloidal silver as a daily supplement and that kills everything!

Good luck in your decision.

Here are a couple links that can help you do some research for yourself and make a decision.

1. This is fascinating and brings up a lot of questions and issues that help in considering what you should do in regard to vaccines. "Boyd Haley on Mercury Autism and Alzheimer's"

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individ...

2. Dr Mercola - A great resource with tons of useful links to research and data from all over the world!

http://www.drmercola.com/

Sincerely,
A.
www.punkinbutt.com

I've looked into this a lot, and talked to a LOT of people...

There are two shots this year, the "seasonal" flu shot - which is just the worst couple of viruses from last year and is available now, and the H1N1 shot which will be available sometime next month.

Normally I do not get flu shots for myself or my kids. The flu is generally survivable in healthy populations, and I think it helps them build their own immune system to be exposed to and learn to fight off the seasonal flu. I, too, have gotten sick from the flu shot, and I really just don't see the point of a yearly flu vaccine. My husband and I are not teachers, nor do we work in health care or with the public. We are not at high risk for seasonal flu. In fact, I can't remember the last time any of us got the ACTUAL yearly flu. We get colds and viruses but we haven't been told it's The Flu.

However, because of all the H1N1/Swine flu panic, I have carefully considered the H1N1 Shot for myself and my kids this year.

Because we live in a relatively small town, I am not planning to be among the first to get the H1N1 shot. I figure the first people to get the H1N1 vaccine are the ones most at risk for negative side effects from the vaccine itself. I'm going to wait and watch for two things - 1) negative side effects and 2) how the virus actually spreads between October and March.

If the larger cities near us have major outbreaks, if the local university has a major outbreak, if thousands of people are dying, then we'll try to get the H1N1 shot. If there are NO reports of ANY side effects from mid-October when it comes out until Thanksgiving, we might consider going ahead and getting the H1N1 shot. If, like SARS and Bird Flu and Killer Bees and a dozen other examples of media hype I can think of, this turns out to be no big deal, we'll have spared ourselves the risk and expense of the shot. If it turns out that they were right this time, and it is a big deal, hopefully there will be enough vaccine to go around. If not, we'll duct tape the windows and take our chances.

That's really the only reasonable course of action I've come up with, given the concerns about the vaccine (squalene, thimerosol!) and the concerns about the H1N1 flu itself (we're long overdue for a pandemic! This is unlike anything we've ever seen!).

I hope this helps you make your decision.

A. @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

Yes, get the flu shots. This year it will be 2 shots, one for the annual flu and then the 2nd for the swine flu. It was coincidental that you got sick a few years ago when you got a flu shot as the vaccine is made from dead viruses and you don't get the flu from the shot. And if you did get the flu that year, know that the annual flu shot is the best guess by the powers that be as to what flu viruses are going to be prevalent. So, yes by all means, get both shots this year. Your son is in elemetary school and will be bringing home every bug known to man. Go see his pediatrician about getting him the flu shots as well. Children are at particular risk for the swine flu and it has been recommended that kids get the shot.

If you or your son comes down with flu like symptoms, stay home. Don't send him to school and don't you go to work as long as you have a fever. Swine flu is very contagious and for some extremely h*** o* their bodies. Take good care.

In this case an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure!!!

I get the flu shot every year and so do my kids (ages 3 and 5). I have never had an adverse reaction, nor have they. Your doctor can probably advise you about whether a prior adverse reaction means that you should avoid it--sounds like maybe that's the case! In my situation, I am at home by myself, with a deployed spouse, and no relatives nearby. I have had the flu in the past and it's a lot more severe than a cold. I just can't imagine how I'd care for my children if I were that sick, so I'll get the shot to avoid the illness. My son (5 years old) has asthma that is triggered by respiratory illness, so again, it makes sense to get him the shot. As for my daughter, well, we've had no problems with the shot, and I would hate to see her that sick.

Now the H1N1 shot is another story. I will be watching that one closely. But my inclination is to get the shot--if we wait until the disease is a real threat, it may be too late for the shot to be of use to us.

Just my thoughts; hope that helps.

I will not be getting either flu shot, and I fall into that critical category of "pregnant woman". I know of too many people who've gotten sick after receiving the seasonal flu shot. I am also VERY leery of the new H1N1 flu shot they are trying to ram down our throats. They have not fully tested it, but are just now testing it out on schoolchildren and pregnant women. I find that frightening! From all reports I've heard, actual symptoms with the people infected with H1N1 are mild and similar to a cold.

We believe in proper hygiene and if we feel sick, we stay home! It helps that we homeschool and are pretty insulated on our family farm.

COMPARED to a regular vaccine, the flu shots are slap-dash affairs. They're still very very safe, but they're made on the quick, and whenever things are made on the quick, mistakes happen. In production, that is. The science behind the development of the vaccine is rock solid, but the production gets a little dicey. ((A few years ago there was a NOTORIOUS screw-up...Only one lab was producing the vaccine, because of a major problem with the other lab. A lot of live virus got mixed in, and a lot of people got sick. Whoohoo...and who was in her 3rd quarter of microbiology/organic chemistry that year. Me (and about 60 others in my class)...who all got the JOY of an extra assignment having to trace what happened how. Okay, it was extra credit. But with the level of competition ... makes it durn near mandatory. Sigh. Okay, I'm going to stop whining now.))

Like I said though, the science is rock solid. The flu starts out in Asia every year an heads west. Scientists rush to culture it and get a vaccine into production. A few months later (just in time for W. Europe to get hit), the vaccine comes out. ((The big freak out with H1N1, was that it DIDN'T start in Asia, and we didn't have time to culture & produce a vaccine before it got to us.))

There are ALWAYS mistakes made in production. There are gazillions of protocols to protect from mistakes (or there would be tons more), but mistakes happen. The chance you'll get an "oops" vaccine is smaller than most things (you have a better chance of dieing in a car accident than you do of getting an "oops").

That said... we don't get flu shots. In large part, because we usually catch next year's flu in the spring or summertime when we're exposed to it via friends/family who've been living in Europe & the Middle East come home on leave. We shut ourselves in tight for about a week when it happens (my son's best friend who we see nearly every day otherwise, has never even caught it from us)...and suffer through it. Actually one particularly nasty flu we had seemed to inoculate us against any others for nearly 2 years. We were so sick we had the phone ready to call the ER, kind of sick. We didn't catch ANYTHING. Nothing, nada, zip, zilch for 2 years solid after that one...even when all my classes were canceled for a week because attendance was so low -and the profs were sick as well.

So in all honesty, I'm really neither for nor against it. I take that back, especially for populations at risk (the very young, the very old, etc) I'm all for it. If I had a choice in the matter...I would PROBABLY get it...but I would wait until the second round. But since I get the flu off season every year...I really don't have much of a choice.

Hi A. - Clearly you got both sides of the coin for answers. It all will come down to what you & your family personally decide works for you. Personally I refuse to get one, we are not in the "high" risk and we make sure we wash, etc as well as stay home from school or activities if not feeling well. Several years ago my husband was required by the military to get the flu shot - for a man that very rarely gets sick, it made him get sick (remember that the flu shot is a watered down version of the flu, plus they try to "guess" which variety of the flu will be that year & many times they get it wrong - go figure). We now refuse to get them. We most assuredly will NOT be getting the "new swine flu" shot. I really worry about that one. Hello there are more people that die of the regular flu (usually due to other underlying conditions) than the "swine" flu. I also think that it has been pushed way too fast through the FDA and regulatory agencies. Buyer beware I believe. Good luck on your decision.

While I agree that it's a good idea for young ones to battles some bugs to strengthen their immune systems, we have just given our 14-month-old and 3-yr-old the flu shots and both my husband and I are planning on getting it. Since they are starting preschool and daycare, and both my husband and I are going back to school, I think we will be very exposed to whatever is out there. I would suggest that you think about how likely you are to be exposed and whether you are willing to sacrifice a week or two should the Flu make its way through your family. I also want to echo what a couple of others have said about the science of the flu shot. You can't get the flu from a dead vaccine. It's impossible. You probably had already been exposed and it was a coincidence that you just had the flu shot. Like the other mom said, it is highly unlikely that you will get an "oops" vaccine. The fear of the shot is due to a lot of hype and lack of understanding about the science of it. I think if you do some research you will be reassured about the safety of the vaccine. I haven't looked into the safety of the H1N1 vaccine, but I would expect that by the time it is made widely available, it too will be safe. I'll still do some research before inocculating my family. Good luck and hope you'll have a healthy winter!

Years and years ago my husband and I both had the flu - it was horrid. So every since I got the flu shot and have been well. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis which is considered high risk for flu. Because of that my husband and daughter will also get the flu shot.

Do what works best for you - there are people who refuse to get it - and are fine - others I know religiously get it every year.

Best bet is good hygiene - which I think gets harder depending on your kid goes and where you work. I worked somewhere where people came to work sick - so it was hard to avoid.

Everybody in my house gets the flu shot. Last year my youngest didnt get it, she was 1. She ended up catching the flu and was almost hospitalized from it, we spent a fill day in the ER with her on IV.
The rest of the family has medical issues(asthma and epilepsy) that would add complications if we got the flu. So every year we all get the shot, and so will my 2 yr old. I know alot of people are against it, but I truely believe in getting it. No matter how careful you are there is always a chance of getting it, more so without the shot. We will also be getiing the swine flu shot when its available.

I am so glad you posed this question. I received my first flu shot 9 1/2 years ago. About 2 weeks after receiving the shot I came down with the worst sickness I've ever had. I actually went to the doctor. The doctor said I had walking pneumonia. I made some snide comment about the flu shot and she said that if may have been worse if I hadn't had the shot. I never received the shot again after that experience.

I have been debating whether or not to try again, but I am so afraid of getting that sick again. I'm enjoying the responses you are getting. I loved the insight from the bio/chemistry gal (sorry, I can't recall your name at the moment).

If you or your children are regularly exposed to other people, particularly large groups of children, you may want to consider getting the shot. People (particularly the young, old, and immune-compromised) can and do get very sick and sometimes die from the flu every year. The swine flu (H1N1) is not the only (or even most dangerous) flu strain out there.

Please take any declarative statements at either end of the spectrum (1- flu shots are evil/harmful/unnecessary or 2- they are absolutely essential) with a grain of salt. These types of statements are typical overly simplistic, not based in real science, untrue, etc. I suggest you research the topic from a wide range of views. I'd first suggest looking at the CDC (Center for Disease Control?) website. I'm pretty sure the site tries to answer questions regarding the flu shot and discusses some of the current fears/myths regarding them. For an alternative viewpoint, you can also look at the Dr Mercola website suggested in this thread (though I'm always skeptical of "medical" information from those trying to sell something) or any number of other websites out there that give reasons for not getting a flu shot.

Finally, try talking to a doctor to see if they give you complete answers to any remaining fears/questions you may have. In my experience, most doctors (at least the good ones) are more than willing to answer these types of questions to help you make an informed decision.

Good luck.

Me and my husband and both our kids are planning on getting both the flu shot and the swine flu shot, if it is available. We haven't had any problems getting the shot in the past.

Neither I or my husband nor children have ever had a flu shot.
My mother, who lives in senor center has gotten the flu shot every year. She hasn't gotten the flu although she did have a stomach sickness that could have be a flu a few years ago.
If I had a reaction to a shot I got I wouldn't do it again. Have you asked your doctor?
This year I'm upping my hand washing and going to try to eat healthier to keep my immune system strong. My family & I haven't gotten the flu for about 5 or 6 years, even when my sister was very sick while visiting us this summer. I am hoping for the best.

I have a family that one is a doctor and 4 are nurses.
You can still get the flu if you get the shot, but not as bad.
If you are already healthy and never get sick then your immune system is in good condition.The shot does not weaken your immune system therefore if you don't get the shot and you are exposed to sick people then yes you will get sick, but if you get the shot and build your immune system you will never be sick.People don't die from the flu unless you are 80 and over and in poor, poor health, then yes its hard.
Its better to be safe than sorry,the swine flu, yes people will die only pregnant ones and diabetics and the very young, and very old, but the middle age like 20's, 3o's and 4o's, 5o's don't have to worry. Good luck.

After seeing what flu shots do to most people I would never get one. My mother and her sister are 90 and 92 and neither one of them has ever gotten a flu shot.
Eat healthy food, wash your hands, and do not worry.

I myself use Boiron's Oscillococciunum when I have the flu. I got a terrible flu last March after eating at a restuarant run by Mexican illegals and was quite ill for two days but the homeopathic remedy made me able to attend functions and continue my life within a day.

Children and adults take the same dosage.

The last couple of years my son hasn't had the flu shot becuase he would have a little sniffle or small cough and I just didn't take him in. I got a couple of shots a several years ago - I didn't get sick at all. I think a big reason you would get sick is because you had a small virus already when you got the shot and you were going to get sick anyway....so then you add the flu shot which has the flu virus strain in it...

I am going to highly consider both shots this year for me and my family because I am very much in the public and so is my husband.
Great question.

Do not believe all that "shots are bad" scare stuff. I have gotten the flue shot for my boys some years, and not others. I stopped just because it seemed unnecessary for us. It depends on your own family's risk of exposure.

I was completely refusing to get the flu shot that they wanted me to get in September of 2008. I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter and they forced me to get one. Well, after they gave it to me, to make matters worse, my daughter stopped being as active as she was before that and I was in the hospital every day having the non stress test and to make sure that she was still alive. There were a few times that her heart was not beating. I hate the flu shot, that's why I didn't get it in the first place, and I will not allow for my children to have one. I got extremely sick with it and I don't want my daughter to ill from it either.

You don't say what kind of ill you got, A.. If you got the flu, experts and my doctor assure us that you had already been exposed and came down with it sooner than the vaccine could protect you. Vaccines can be made with dead virus, which can't possibly give you the flu, or with weakened or modified virus, which can conceivably make people with weakened immune systems ill. Otherwise, you probably had the flu already.

If you got some other kind of ill, it could have been reacting to some other component of the shot, like egg or the murcury-containing preservative thimoserol. Amy A's answer is sensible. If you're not a person at particular risk from the flu, might be able to hunker down and stay home if there's a big outbreak, and are willing to endure the flu if you get it, then skip the shot.

If you think it would be wiser to get the shot for any reason (I've got chronic asthma, so I never skip the vaccine), then it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor about how ill you got last time. (S)he should be able to help you decide.

It's always your decision, but one thing my doctor told me the other day was that the H1N1 vaccine has three makers, and only one is thimerasol free--and she said regular flu shots also frequently have thimerasol, which she personally is unwilling to put in her body. (Thimerasol, if you don't know, is a mercury based preservative--it preserves because mercury is deadly to any life form, including bacteria, but there are all kinds of danger warnings about use in humans).

Just on the side of no vaccination, though, a strong healthy immune system will burn through whatever comes, including the flu. I have heard some horror stories of people getting very sick with the shot, and would rather do lots to build the immune system naturally. Some ways to do that:
-Food: Lots of the lovely veggies that are currently available at farmer's markets are perfect for building the immune system, chock full of vitamin C (tomatoes, peppers, dark green leafies like kale, chard, and spinach) and vitamin A. Make some yummy soups and salads and steamed veggies!
-Emergen-C packets have very easily absorbable ascorbATE rather than ascorBIC acid, and all the other vitamins, trace minerals, etc, necessary to utilize it.
-Teach good sneezing, coughing, and handwashing practices. There's a terrific and funny video going viral called "Why Don't We Do It in Our Sleeves".

If you or your son do get the flu, you'll get through it very quickly if you have a strong immune system and rest.

This is such a personal decision, it really depend on your own risk/benefit assessment. For us both my husband and I work or are in school and our daughter attends daycare, so we will get both the H1N1 and regular Flu shot this year. Just because our risk of exposure is a lot higher than it were if we say stayed at home or worked in an environment that does not have as much contact with others.
My plan is to get the shot for both me and my daughter every other year, since there were some studies that have shown that if you did not get the shot and do catch the Flu (of a different strain), it usually is milder if you were vaccinated before (as we saw last year, when the strains in the vaccine didn't actually match what was going around at the time).
Good luck in making your decision.

My opinion only: will never ever allow my children to take any flu vaccine. I never had it, my mother, or any of my family...they rarely or never get sick..and your immune system protects you better than anything. Just eat healthy, and wash your hands.