Should I Get a Flu Shot?

Quick question...What vaccinations have you been told are required? There are no vaccinations that are required in the state of Michigan. Both of my children are not vaccinated and for the most part seem to be less likely to get sick then some of my friends children. The schools have waviers from the Health department if you chose not to based on medical, ethical or personal reasons. Mine is both a personal and medical choice.

Now if you have not had the flu for the last few years then why bother...Just my opinion. The flu shot you would be going would be for some flue strain that went around last year or the year before. You could get the flu from the shot or you could still get the flu, just another strain.

I work outside and come into contact with a lot of people, but still it's not worth it to me. We take our vitamins eat healthy and wash our hands a lot and at school and work I send both my kids to school with wipes for their desk when kids start getting sick.

The best way to eliminate getting sick is to eat healthy and wash your hands and work surfaces.

Good luck

Chelle

1 mom found this helpful

Speaking from my own personal experience, I would say skip the flu shot. I had never had the flu shot until I was pregnant with my first child in 2001. That fall my Ob/gyn insisted it was best for me to get the shot. I wanted to do whatever was best, however, later that fall I had one of the worst flus I can remember. I have not had a flu shot since, and have not had the flu but once in the past 7 years. As for what one mom posted about the flu shot at 8 weeks and a miscarriage at 12 weeks... too scary, better to skip the flu shot and just be really careful to wash hands etc. during flu season. Best of luck to you and remember do what is best for you. This is just my opinion.

I and my family don't get the flu shot. I believe it's good for people with low immune systems (down's kids, the eldery and such).

I am afraid of the long term affects of the flu shot because it contains mercury (enough to be considered a biohazard if you throw the vial of flu shot away) and other toxic chemicals. Mercury may be linked to Alzheimers and I can't imagine injecting my children (or myself) with mercury yearly and not expect something bad to come of it. They don't know if the flu shot is linked to Alzheimers but I've seen people with it and I don't want to bring that on anyone. Here is a list of some of the things in a flu shot:

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) .
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye).
Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent
Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response) .
Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease.
Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people.

I know they make mercury free ones but I don't know if they make formaldehyde and aluminum free shots :(

Just do your research as best you can before you decide. It's not so much getting one shot that bothers me, it's injecting these things on a yearly basis where it will build up in your body or your childs body.

Here's one of the articles that scared me a bit:
http://chetday.com/noflushots.htm

I like his suggestion of reading the insert with the doctor and asking them why putting those things in your body is a good idea :P

I do not know about flu shots and pregnacy...but I always get a flu shot if it's available. There are some serious strains of flu that it protects you against and without that vaccine you could get very sick. Talk to your dr about your 2 year old, but if your doctor thinks it's ok, I would get him vaccinated too.

I would get it. I got the flu from my almost 2 year old when I was 5 months pregnant with my son and it was horrible. I got my first flu shot last year and will get it again this year.

Question: You are aware that the Flu shot is for serious Influenza strains? Not the Intestinal Flu as many think (with vomiting/ diarrhea). You still may get a cold, but not as bad as the next person or you may not get that one at all. I have received the Flu shot the past few years, but my immune system was compromised when I was on Humira and Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis (R.A.). I am no longer on this and no longer require these meds. But I have a small preschooler bringing in the germs as well as a job that exposes me to the public so to me it is a 'safe guard' for me and my child.

I know in the hospital environment, they are required due to safe guard themselves and the patients. I was under the impression that the public education system workers were also for the same reason?

As someone that avoids many things and tries to keep it natural, I get my Flu shot; I also break up the vaccines but I do not blindly accept them all for my son. (I give him a homeopathic remedy afterwards to deal with any toxic complications of the vaccine that does not counteract it, just the effects.) If your OBGyn is reputable then she should know the risks if there are any. Ask if there are. I cannot recall if I did get my shot prior to having my son, as my R.A. came on four months after his birth.

But as you are exposed to other children, I think it is a smart idea unless you have another way to keep your immune system strong in pregnancy.

L.,
In 2006, I got pregnant and upon the advice of my OBGYN I got the flu shot on my first prenatal visit, I was 8 weeks at the time. I was sick with flu-like symptoms including a slight fever and body aches for 3 days. When I was 12 weeks, I had a miscarriage and they reported that the fetus's development stopped at 8 weeks. Correlation doesn't equal causation, but it was too much of a coincidence for me. I can promise you that I will never get a flu shot again.
If I would have been my usual skeptical self during my 8-week visit, instead of the excited first-time pregnant girl, I would have thought, "you won't let me take aspirin, but you want to inject me (and therefore my teeny tiny baby) with an inactivated virus? No thank you, I will take my chances."
I ended up getting a new OBGYN after the miscarriage and my new one also tried to give me the flu shot when I got pregnant again in my first trimester and I practically yelled NO WAY! He looked at me like I was nuts, but I don't care.
Anyway, I say don't risk it! Best of luck on your pregnancy!