Flu Shots for Kids

I have always given both of my kids the flu shot every year (they are 2 and 5). Usually I get one for myself too. Well, this year both of the kids were vaccinated and I had been "too busy" to go get a shot for myself, and I got soooooo sick! I really believe that the flu shot is worth it no matter what your age. But especially when you consider that the flu may include a fever and throwing up - kids' bodies are so much smaller that they have a hard time dealing with that. My nanny's baby daughter was just hospitalized with the flu this week. The flu shot won't cover you against all strains of the flu, just the ones that are considered the worst that particular year - so it's not a total prevention, but in my experience it sure helps.

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Hello!

I feel the same way about pharmaceutical companies and the amount of medicine we give our children (and ourselves for that matter). That being said, there is something to be said for the flu shot in my opinion. Knowing how dangerous the flu can be (particularly to little systems) I got one, my husband got one and when my little guy was old enough, he got one. The flu seems to be getting worse every year. I truly believe this falls into the prevention category. Happy birthday to your little one!

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My son got his first flu shot when he was about 6 months old and Knock on wood he has not gotten the flu, this year i actually got one and haven't gotten sick, however i have talked to people who say that the flu shot made them sicker than ever in their life so i guess it is just a personal choice.

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this is a tough call. a very personal decision.

we did not give our son a flu shot this year. he is almost 15 months now. he has had colds, no flu. my husband and i decided to forego the flu shot this year. every year we did get it, we've gotten sick...with the flu! so we're kind of tired of that. maybe our bodies are more sensitive to the active or dead strains in the vaccine? i have no idea. wish they had a way for testing for that.

i did get the flu shot while i was pregnant though. i had gotten a stomach bug in the first trimester, and i was determined not to go through vomiting again. that was the one time i got the flu shot and did not get sick, oddly enough.

the flu is getting worse each year, i agree, but i wonder a little if it's because we're speeding evolution along with these vaccines? or would it be mutating at this rate anyway? i don't know.

I feel the same way about the flu shot as you do. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me and I trust my maternal intuition. As I understand it, the flu shot only protects from a few strains of influenza and not what we commonly refer to as a flu (fever, stomach problems, cough, etc.) I wonder if what your son had during his birthday was even preventable with the flu shot.

Trust your gut feeling and don't let your mother-in-law sway your opinion on matters. The fact that you get an ear full every time your kids get sick is silly, kids get sick and the flu shot doesn't stop every bug they're going to catch.

Hi C.,

I'm glad you're putting your distrust of the Pharm Companies aside and looking for input on this. It shows you want what is best for your children's health over your own personal prejudices ( for good or bad as they may be ).

We have been getting the Flu shots for our boys since they were born and this was the first year they actually got sick. Both had sniffles and a cough for a few days with a very low fever. Unfortunately it was mommy and daddy that ended up in bad shape. We chose to pass on the shots this year. My wife, C. B as well :), ended up with Bronchitis and my flu developed into viral meningitis. The Doctor was nice enough to point out that both illnesses were most likely complications of our flu that we caught from our boys.

I for one will be taking a flu shot next year. Being dead to the world for 6 days vs one little shot? Easy choice for me.

And check out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm for more info.

Hi C.. I am of your same belief in not overtreating, but in preventing. My daughter is 4 and my son is 2 and we chose to give them their first flu shot ever this year. I stay at home and do not have my kids in day care where they are exposed to many other children. I did enroll them in a once-a-week gymnastics class where there are several children of all ages. With the anticipation of exposure during flu season, we jumped in and did it.

I was especially concerned about the link between certain vaccinations and autism - the jury is still out on that one. To be on the safe side, I read the materials about the flu shot and read that there is thimerisol-free shots. (However after grilling the clinic staff, they say Kaiser hasn't used thimersol in their shots for a few years now.)

My 2y.o. son got one shot, then had to return a month later to get the 2nd shot. My daughter got the nasal-flu nose spray (apparently you can get this after age 3.) Neither had side-effects, other than a low, low-grade fever for a couple days and a little more clingy than usual for the same time. Glad to say, they didn't get the flu!

I hope this helps in making your decision. - KW

Hi C.,

I believe you will get the flu whether you get the shot or not. We don not get the flu shot ourselves so we did not give it to our son. Some years one of us gets the flu, some years we don't...I do not believe the flu shot PREVENTS one from getting the flu. I know people who get the shot and still get the flu and ones who get the shot and don't get the flu. If you yourself don't get the flu shot, why give it to your son?

good luck!

Hi C.. I understand your concerns about putting things into their systems that isn't necessary. I have 6 kids - all adopted, all special needs and two are medically fragile. The doctors insist on all of us getting the flu shot every year because of the kids that are medically fragile. The two that are medically fragile are the first ones to get the shot as soon as it comes out each season. Now the flu shot does not cover all types of flu. You can still get a flu bug and if you do, it's just a strain that is not covered by the shot. So considering the flu shot is "safe" enough for medically fragile kids, I would think it would be okay for for your typical kids. The only thing is if your kids are allergic to eggs, talk with the doctor first. The serum the flu shot is based in can cause a problem for those allergic to eggs. My daughter is allergic to eggs and can still have the shot, but I've heard of others who cannot.

I get a flu shot every year and I also got my daughter a flu shot this year as well and she was almost a year old at the time. I have asthma and have found that it's benificial for me to get one and I wanted to get her one so she wouldn't get the flu as bad as she would if she didn't have it. Please note that the flu shot is for the respitory flu not the stomach flu.

Now that I have said that, my daughter and I have been pretty sick this winter. It seems like one or both of us is always sick. She gets it and passes it to me and visa versa. I am not sure it would be worse had we not at the flu shot or not.

I am not sure that helped but I hope it gave you some insight.

I think you are very wise in being suspicious of pharmaceutical companies. Children's immune systems are developing, just as the rest of their bodies are developing and not yet fully formed. Getting an illness and recovering from it can be strengthening for their immune systems in the long run. Drugs and vaccines can be damaging, immediately and in the long run.

Check out the book "How to Raise Healthy Children In Spite of Your Doctor" written by an MD, Mendelson, I think.

The flu can be devastating to the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Your mother in law may have very good reason to have a flu shot when she weighs the pros and cons. The pros and cons are totally different for healthy children. Yes, having sick kids is a great inconvenience, but it may make them stronger in the long run if their own body finds the way to fight off the illness. Homeopathics are wonderful for prevention and treatment. Oscillicocinum by Boiron is a very good flu remedy. A great book on the subject for home reference is "Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines" by Stephen Cummings and Dana Ullman.

I have three children 17,13 & 9 y.o. We rarely use prescription meds. as we are able to treat so much w/homeopathy, herbs and nutrition.

Good luck and be well.

C.,
I have had my children (ages 7 &12) every year since my youngest was diagnosed with Asthma when she was 4. She has gotten the shot the last 3 years and has never gotten the flu. Her older sister gets the flu mist (which is sprayed in the nose, and is used for older children) My youngest can't get flu mist due to being high risk. neither child has ever had the flu. I also get the shot every year and have never gotten ill, but my husband did the shot for two years and both times got horribly sick. I think I would talk to your children's doctor and get there advice on if there is a benefit for your children to getting it.
amanda