I'm rethinking the flu shot
One after another, my kids have come down with flu-like symptoms this summer. Two of them ended up with pneumonia (one mild case, one severe), and when I took my 4-year-old in to have her pediatrician listen to her lungs yet again, we discovered that she might also have a touch of asthma. Her doctor looked at me and said: "Of course, you're getting her vaccinated for the flu, right?"
And I... hesitated.
I used to think the flu shot was overrated and, to some extent, I still do. But since Thimerosal isn't an issue with the vaccines being offered in my area, I think the benefits outweigh the risks for my children. (Well, my youngest two children. My oldest three are my steps and, as such, vaccinating them isn't my call.)
"Getting the flu shot" makes it seem like one jab and you're protected, but that's not actually the case. The seasonal flu vaccine requires "at least two shots" for many patients, and neither the inactivated influenza vaccine nor the LAIV nasal spray (FluMist) protect people from the H1N1 virus, a.k.a. Swine Flu. A vaccine for H1N1 is still being developed (doses are expected to become available in October), and officials do not know whether it'll require one or two doses to be effective. (Updated to add: The National Institutes of Health says that one dose of the H1N1 virus is fine for older kids -- the protection will kick in eight to 10 days after the shot, just as it does for adults -- but younger children "almost certainly will need two" spaced three weeks apart. -- LMA)
And here's where my hesitation comes in: In 1976, the last time the swine flu made the rounds, the vaccine against it was linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells. Back then, the vaccination effort was halted after just 10 weeks because more people died from complications of the vaccine than from the swine flu itself.
There hasn't been an official word on whether Guillain-Barre is an issue this time around. Nevertheless, New York City has already announced plans to innoculate kids against swine flu for free. (It's voluntary, and will require parental consent, but still, I have to wonder: How far of a step is it from "making it available" to "making it manditory"?)
There's good reason to try protect your kids -- and yourself -- from a swine flu infection. The H1N1 strain seems to be more dangerous than the 1976 version. Unlike with the seasonal flu, about one in 13 U.S. swine flu deaths have been children, and most of the victims have been of school age. The virus blasted through 177 countries in the first four months after it was identified, according to the CDC; the World Health Organization says that lab tests have confirmed H1N1 in 2,185 deaths and more than 209,000 infections, even though most people who come down with swine flu aren't tested. And bacterial co-infections -- when a bacterial infection sets in while the patient's body is weakened from a virus -- are an even bigger danger.
But what we seem to forget amid all of the swine-flu hype and hysteria is that the plain old regular seasonal flu is pretty deadly, too. The CDC estimates that 36,000 people in the United States die from the seasonal flu each year.
So, whether you're waiting for the H1N1 vaccine to become available, or you've already endured your seasonal flu jab, you should still take all the usual precautions: Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, cover your cough, avoid contact with people who show sympoms, and stay home if you're sick. Easier said than done for many of us, but still good advice.
Are you or your kids getting the flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine this year? Why or why not?
Lylah M. Alphonse is a Globe staff member and mom and stepmom to five kids. She writes about juggling career and parenthood at The 36-Hour Day and blogs at Write. Edit. Repeat. E-mail her at lalphonse@globe.com.
Lylah, I'm surprised to read this from you, it doesn't seem like you have your facts straight. First of all, boston.com reports here (http://www.boston.com/community/moms/articles/2009/09/14/us_could_start_swine_flu_vaccinations_in_early_oct/) that only one dose of the H1N1 vaccine will be needed. I also have never heard that "The seasonal flu vaccine 'requires at least two shots' for many patients."
Although vaccine side-effects are a valid concern, this is a new vaccine, developed using much newer technologies than the 1976 vaccine. Finally, you mention that one of your children may be asthmatic, which is a condition known to increase the severity of H1N1. It seems to me that that is more of a reason to vaccinate.
Personally, I'm gpoing to wait and see how the epidemic plays out now that school is in session before I make the decision to vaccinate my two young kids or myself.
Thanks for your comment, Concernedmom, but I think you've misread my post. In my third paragraph, I wrote that I think the benefits outweigh the risks for my children. So I'm rethinking my previous position, which was that I thought the shots were unnecessary before.
As for the two-dose requirement, you can find that info here: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/vax-summary.htm
Thank you for the update about only one dose being needed for the H1N1 vaccine. That report came out after this post went live. -- LMA
Is it okay for kids to get the flu shot and the H1N1 shot? Should they be spaced out? Are there any known interactions between the two shots?
Thanks,
Worried Mom
You should definitely consult with your child's pediatrician, but the CDC suggests that children get both shots. If they haven't had the seasonal flu shot before, they need two doses, given a month apart. No word yet on whether the H1N1 vaccine requires two doses or just one. But, as I said, you should talk to your child's doctor to find out what he or she recommends for your child. -- LMA
"But, as I said, you should talk to your child's doctor to find out what he or she recommends for your child".
And if your child is considering smoking, talk to Joe Camel.
Here are some facts;
0.5 parts per billion (ppb) mercury = Kills human neuroblastoma cells (Parran et al., Toxicol Sci 2005; 86: 132-140).
2 ppb mercury = U.S. EPA limit for drinking water (http://www.epa. gov/safewater/ contaminants/ index.html# mcls).
20 ppb mercury = Neurite membrane structure destroyed (Leong et al., Neuroreport 2001; 12: 733-37).
200 ppb mercury = level in liquid the EPA classifies as hazardous waste based on toxicity characteristics.
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/mercury/regs.htm
50,000 ppb mercury = Concentration of mercury in multi-dose DTaP and Haemophilus B vaccine vials, administered 8 times in the 1990’s to children at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months of age and currently “preservative” level mercury in multi-dose flu, H1N1, meningococcal and tetanus vaccines. This can be confirmed by simply analyzing the multi-dose vials.
Thanks for your comment, Jerry, and for the information. I'm obligated to insist that parents consult with their doctors -- rather than with me -- for medical advice! -- LMA
When one looks at the whole body, from a holistic standpoint, realize that most all symptoms result from bodies attempting to clean out crud, even flu symptoms. When we suppress this, sometimes we simply hold sickness in, and it is not fully cleared. For more swine flu information: http://www.healingnews.com/swine_flu_vaccine_programs_1109122009.html
My whole family (me, husband, 9 and 7 year olds) have gotten the seasonal flu shot already this year, as we have in previous years. My older son has asthma. He has had pneumonia twice, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, RSV as an infant - you name it. Even a regular cold can send him into weeks of coughing. This is a no brainer for me - my kid could die from flu related complications. We get vaccinated.
Some people react badly to vaccines, I get that. Those people need to do what they need to do. But no one in our family has ever reacted badly to a flu shot, whereas the regular flu (which we all got the year before we all started getting the vaccine) knocked us all on our backs, and sent my eldest to the ER in the middle of the night because he couldn't breathe.
I don't mind people who choose not to get vaccinated after they have done the research and made a reasoned choice. But people who either make ill informed, knee jerk decisions or worse, try to make everyone else feel like they are the bad parents with scare mongering, drive me nuts. Vaccinate or not. If you don't assume that I am blindly following the medical establishment for vaccinating, I won't assume that you are ill informed and paranoid for not vaccinating, deal?
I'm 8 weeks pregnant, and my doctor (as well as the CDC) has reccommended that I get both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 vaccine, but I haven't decided if I'm going to do it or not. I'm 32 years old, I've only gotten the flu once in my life, and I've never had a flu shot. I may get the shots, spaced apart, if I can find thimerseral-free versions.
Thimerosal never was an "issue." That is antivax propaganda and hysteria; please educate yourself about it. GBS is an incredibly rare side effect of the flu vaccine, with about a one-in-a-million chance of occurring. That's worse odds than getting struck by lightning, so hopefully you "do research" every time your children walk outside when it's cloudy ...
Thanks for commenting, Bob. Thimerosal and other heavy metals are an issue for some people, including those with certain mitochonrial disorders -- which may be the case in my family. I can't speak for yours. As for GBS, it is a rare side effect of the flu vaccine, but it was a large enough threat the last time they vaccinated against Swine Flu that the government stopped offering the shots because of it. -- LMA
NO Shot!
The flu shot still has aluminum in it -- a major neurotoxin among other things, and still for the last several years has not been protecting kids against the flu. Plus -- you must ASK to be sure in our area to be sure Thimerisol is not in it.
I would never sign up for a vaccine that has not been through the normal testing for safety!
I will not get either vaccine this year because they're using live attenuated viruses without knowing the parameters of the H1N1 virus. They're already discovered it can replicate in the lungs and hide in the small intestine where there is little access for the immune system to kill it completely. Then if another virus is contracted (or injected), there's always a possibility of re-assortment. Considering how most children are given up to 22 vaccinations before they start school, adding another LAIV nasal spray to mix should really be a concern for most parents, especially since the H1N1 only has a half percent mortality rate. If viruses are given a chance to re-assort in the body, the consequences would be deadly. Re-assortment is the same process used to create bioweapons.
Thanks for commenting, Chuck. It's worth noting that while the nasal spray (FluMist) does use live attenuated viruses, the seasonal flu vaccine injection does not. -- LMA
An excellent resource to learn more about the swine flu vaccine (and other vaccines) is the National Vaccine Information Center, www.nvic.org, which is NOT funded by the government or pharmaceutical industry.
In two major studies published in the Lancet , the effectiveness of the flu shot was examined in children and people over 65. For children less than two the authors state, " the influenza vaccine had similar effects to a placebo". For children over two the flu shot was only 28% effective. In the study on the elderly the authors state, "the influenza vaccine seems ineffective in preventing flu or flu-like illness in elderly people living in the community".
"Immunization of very young children is not lent support by our findings," said Dr Tom Jefferson. "We recorded no convincing evidence that vaccines can reduce mortality,[hospital] admissions, serious complications and community transmission of influenza. In young children, we could find no evidence that the vaccine was different from a placebo," Jefferson told Reuters (1)
(1) Safety of influenza vaccines in children: The Lancet, 2005; 366:803-804 DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736 (05)67204-2
Thank you for allowing my comment (I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised), but it nicely demonstrates the problem with your article. You're giving antivax propagandists cover!
I point out that thimerosal isn't dangerous, and you insist that it might be without any evidence offered. (I presume you're referring to the Poling case, which is a single piece of biased evidence; her father is the physician of record on the case!!) On the other hand, Jerry gives a pile or scary but irrelevant "information" and you thank him for it. Thimerosal is a mercury-containing compound, not mercury itself. By the standards of the so-called logic and evidence you're thanking Jerry for, table salt is a deadly poison. After all, it contains chlorine! OMG!!!
Hi, Bob. Of course I allowed your comment. You can't have a good discussion if everyone agrees all the time...
Please note that, in your comment, you didn't say that Thimerosal wasn't dangerous, you said it wasn't an issue. I replied that Thimerosal is an issue for some people, including someone in my family -- I did not insist that it was problematic for everyone, or even in and of itself. -- LMA
My kids will not be getting these flu vaccines, either. I would rather spend more money on boosting up their immune systems with healthy foods and supplements, than relying on any vaccines.
Just a note - the mercury in Thimersosal is ethyl mercury. This is widely considered safe in humans because the body excretes it quickly without absorbing it. Above, Jerry contributed some scary items about mercury levels and safety. However, these levels do not apply to ethyl mercury.
I certainly don't like the idea of injecting myself or my children with mercury, but study after study has shown no ill effects. The swine flu vaccine makes me nervous because there has been such limited testing, but I think we should all feel safe taking the seasonal flu shot. Whether or not it is effective, I don't know. No one should feel criticized or guilty for making these tough decisions on behalf of their family. There is no easy answer. But please be aware that hasty claims made in the name of skepticism are just as dangerous as blindly following CDC recommendations and other PR propaganda.
Evidence to support my ethyl mercury argument. There is more where this came from as well.
http://www.myomancy.com/2005/05/ethyl_mercury_v
Bob and Sarah, ethylmercury in vaccines is more toxic than ingested methylmercury. Why? They are both short chain alkylmercury compounds that readily enter the brain. Ethylmercury is less stable and rapidily converts to Hg++ (yes Bob, real mercury). This form remains permanently trapped and is the cause of degenerative brain disease. By injecting the stuff intramuscularly, you bypass all protective mechanisms of the GI tract and provide rapid access to the bloodstream. You are both either missinformed or do not understand basic chemistry. To say that ethylmercury is not really mercury is crazy talk. Sarah, if you think ethylmercury rapidily leaves the body read this paper.
Burbacher T, Shen D, Liberato N, Grant K, Cernichiari E, Clarkson T. Comparison of blood and brain mercury levels in infant monkeys exposed to methylmercury or vaccines containing thimerosal. Environmental Health Perspectives. 113:1015-1021
I got the swine flu shot in 1976. A day or two later, the news broke about GB syndrome and the symptoms, gradual paralysis and so on. As I sat there watching the news, each and every symptom appeared, a phenomenon every medical student can identify with.
My thinking is this: If the power of suggestion of that news piece was so strong, how strong is the placebo effect of all the media, that the vaccine will help etc? In today's corporate-run media, doctor's offices trolled by pharma salesmen, brochure displays provided by same, I find myself growing weary and cynical of all news flu. I'm remembering avian flu, SARS and a host of other scary diseases we paid good money to a bunch of corporations to not get.
Then there's astragalus and other adaptogenic herbs that bolster the immune system. I wish the mainstream media would give equal time to those. Just because you don't have a blaring reaction to a vaccine doesn't mean it's benign. So I think I'll skip Swine Flu II, after being around for 1976 .
If I'm wrong, can somebody please stop by with a pot of chicken soup?
Take care and good health to all!
So, if we get the vaccine, year after year, and NOTHING happens except that we don't get the flu, that's all in our heads? The fact that I have never come down with polio or measles is just a mind game?
I weep for the state of science education in this country.
Here is a quite detailed conversation between Dr.Mercola and Dr. Baylock regarding the flu shots and vaccines and their dangers and
effectiveness. Lots of good researched data.
I use Homeopathy for flu symptoms very successfully and have for several years. Have a look at Oscilloccocinum or Anas Barbariae 200C as effective for flu generally and then there are many very good remedies for what is being called the swine flu.
Homeopathy is safe for kids and even pregnant mothers as it has no side effects. look at #3 www.hollywoodsurvivalkit.com
Thanks for your article.
Here is a quite detailed conversation between Dr.Mercola and Dr. Baylock regarding the flu shots and vaccines and their dangers and
effectiveness. Lots of good researched data.
I use Homeopathy for flu symptoms very successfully and have for several years. Have a look at Oscilloccocinum or Anas Barbariae 200C as effective for flu generally and then there are many very good remedies for what is being called the swine flu.
Homeopathy is safe for kids and even pregnant mothers as it has no side effects. look at #3 www.hollywoodsurvivalkit.com
Thanks for your article.
Sure you can use homeopathy to treat flu symptoms. Unless you get a secondary bacterial infection that kills you, you'll probably be fine.
Or, you can skip the flu symptoms entirely...
I'm not willing to risk the secondary infections or a very bad flu case on my asthmatic son. Your mileage may vary.
The "Swine Flu" scare, is just that -- nothing more than a scare tactic. Parents should read everything they can get their hands on before making a decision one way or another.
The choice to vaccinate your child or not is one of the most important decision any parent will ever make for their child and it has the potential to have the most serious and lasting ramifications. Do your homework.
As for our family, we have decided the risks are simply too great and they far outweigh any possible benefits.
Annie, I just wanted to ask... the risks are too great to get the vaccine or to not get it? I'm interested. I am so on the fence about this issue. The only reason why it is an issue is because my employer has made it a condition of employment. So I understand I have to get this injection against my wishes, but our family is leaving for Orlando this coming Sunday, and I do not want to get sick after the vaccine. I'd prefer to wait until we return. That way if I do get the post-vaccine sickness, I can do it on their dime, and not mine. I also wonder if my 4 year old should get it. What do you guys think...?
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