The Flu Shot - Dracut,MA

repost reply from similar question...

I find it interesting how people post "thousands of people have died from the flu" and yet to put it into perspective, thousands to millions of people have died from other common infectious diseases (just google common infectious diseases). Also, the person who said "not to base it on other people's experience." Well, I researched the effectiveness/pros/cons of the flu shot (which I would hope most people would do, and then make their own decision) - especially with the H1N1 outbreak last year and opted out of it for myself and my LO. I've never had the flu shot and have only had the flu once in the last 20 years - granted I'm pretty healthy, but I attribute my great immune system on eating right, exercise and good clean living and not on a bunch of shots. Now if myself or my LO had other underlying health issues, I would probably reevaluate, but for now I would rather continue to build up my immune system than to use a crutch in the hopes that they come up with the right formula from year to year. I've also mentioned this before, but if you ask three different doctors/professionals you will get three different variations of what they think is best and why - that's probably what bothers me the most.

I've gotten the flu shot for many years ( I have asthma so I'm considered high risk). After I got the shot last year my body would not tolerate eggs. I love eggs but they make me so sick now. I can eat them if they are in something like bread or other baked goods, just not something like scrambled eggs, quiche, creme brule. Hard to believe the two aren't related.

I have never had a flu shot and never will! I had the flu 3 years ago, that was the first time in probably 5 years and haven't had it since and it wasn't life threatening.

My child is completely unvaccinated and I know that's a whole can of worms...I will gladly travel down that road, but want to keep the answer simple and direct to what you asked. Why he doesn't get the flu shot-

-Toxic levels of multiple chemicals, do your research, if nothing else, you should know what and how much of it they are putting into your child and why....information is powerful!
-He's home full time, breastfed since birth and continuing still at 22 months
-Never goes into any type of daycare situation or nursery and will not until age 2 and even then, limited ( we do go to playdates, etc, but not when anyone is ill)
-We maintain a diet and lifestyle that is about 60-70% natural and organic, avoid toxins, additives, etc and use homeopathic remedies, so i am confident in his body's strength
-Close personal friends have suffered vaccine injury and it has greatly impacted our choices and viewpoint on delaying some shots and skipping most

I hope that's helpful and whatever you decide is best for you and your child, I wish you well!

I 2nd the below response with Reluctant Texan. We don't vaccinate at all and the reason's are similar.
Do your research and make the best choice for your child. Be proactive in making the decision instead of just following along ")
Best Regards,
C.

We don't do it for ourselves or our children.

NO THANKS!

My son and I both had the swine flu vaccination last year and that night my son woke up in the middle of the night with a temperature and threw up. I won't be getting the shot (regular flu or otherwise) for either of us again. If he's going to get flu like symptoms from the shot, he might as well just have the flu.

My family chooses not to get the flu shot. My husband is a chiropractor and has done tons and tons of research on this topic. The strands of flu that are contained in the shot are seldom the one going around (there are many, many types of flu) and the risks of getting the flu from the shot are also there. I would rather get a flu that would be over in a couple of days, and get immunity from it naturally, than to inject the synthetic chemicals into my blood.
This is just our opinion, and believe me, we do get chastised for it. Please do some research that is not funded by the medical community and make an educated decision.

Never have had the flu shot..In fact, I worked at a hospital 2 yrs ago, was the only one who didn't get the shot. The only one who didn't get the flu..could have been a coincidence, but seems pretty obvious for me. My sons will not be getting the flu shot either. I have MS..no one really knows what causes that, except its a mix of genetics & an environmental trigger. Since neurological side effects have been known to occur w/ the flu shot. NO flu shots for my boys.

On a side note, my hubby has gotten multiple Flu shots including the h1n1 last year (but he was going out of the country on business too) and hasn't had any side effects from either!

My oldest got h1n1 last year and it was a nightmare he has asthma and had complications who wants to watch their child suffer like that again....NOT ME. Those that say they won't because h1n1 is in it and its to new and blah blah blah need to realize the flu shot is new every year and every year it contains multiple strains so that is a lame excuse. I asked my own doctor because he is not a huge fan unwarranted vaccines and he is not my children's doctor because I was on the fence last year about h1n1 and he said given their ages and given that otherwise healthy children were dying from it that they he highly recommended they get it. It was made the same way as the seasonal flu last year.
My boys already got their shots in September and have been fine. I suggest instead of asking a bunch of moms online that are each set in their own opinions you ask a good doctor. A good doctor will provide you with reliable information on both sides of the matter.
Another thing to think about when you don't vaccinate think of all the people out there that cannot get vaccines because of medical reasons and that you could be the reason that it spreads to someone and that someone dies. How awful is that? What's worse how will you feel if you don't get it for your 2 year old (5 and under is high risk) and she gets it and must be hospitalized or worse will you be able to look yourself in the mirror? Probably not.

We have never gotten the flu shot. Go to NVIC.org to do your own research about flu shots and vaccines in general.

This year the government approved to put the H1N1 shot into the reg. yearly flu shot. ( So there are two in one ).
I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS.

No, we don't get the flu shot.

We don't know what is in it, there for we don't want it in our bodies.

About a year ago I read that the Flu shot has been related to ( eltimers diease ). I am sorry if I spelled that wrong.

Well, to each their own. Do your research online and then you can make your own decision.

I hope for you and your family great health.

The proof for me is in the pudding. I'm 43, hubby 36, kids 14, 11 and 8. Hubby and I have not gotten the flu shot in more than 20 years. Our kids have NEVER had a flu shot. We have not had the flu in 20+ years and our kids have not thrown up since they were babies! And I'm a working mom so my kids have been in home daycares before they started school. Also, my kids have had perfect attendence from K-4th grade. All kids have taken a chewable multi vitamin and Omega 3 for as long as I can remember and all kids get at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night. And hubby and I take http://www.YummyLiquidVitamins.com and have noticed a huge change for the better. Good luck! p.s. we also DO NOT get immunization shots.

I think its unique to you and depends on how often you get sick. I am the person in the house that will acquire whatever is brought in. I always have! It's the worst! I usually get the flu shot but this year I have to go to the allergist since the vacine is made with eggs. My daughter is allergic to egg whites and my son dairy and eggs. Not good!

I don't get the flu shot and don't give it to my children either. I had the flu shot during two of my four pregnancies and didn't notice any difference either time. We are a relatively healthy family with no chronic health issues that put us at a greater than average risk of complications from the flu so to me, it's not worth pumping myself and my children to a shot full of chemicals (including themerisol - you have to ask to get a shot without this preservative) to avoid an illness that is relatively rare and that we would most likely get over just fine if we did get it. Real influenza is not all that common - I think I have had one actual case of it in my life and my kids have never had it. Do we get viruses with "flu-like symptoms" as well as colds, stomach bugs, the occasional bout of strep? Sure. But actual flu? Nope. I just don't see the point of getting vaccinated unless you or your child (or someone else in your family with whom you are in regular contact, like an elderly relative or someone undergoing cancer treatment) has health issues that would make run of the mill flu particularly dangerous.

I don't get it for my son because he has food allergies, including egg, and egg protein is in the flu shot.

My children were given all of their vaccines on schedule with no adverse effects or problems whatsoever. However, I feel a little differently about the annual flu vaccines. I'm not sure but I may be required to get one due to working at a hospital, but I am not getting my 15 year old son vaccinated. He's healthy as a horse and doesn't fall into any of the risk categories so I feel that it's unnecessary for him. They were giving them free at his school and his dad wanted him to have one, but we agreed it wasn't necessary. I am more worried about the whooping cough (pertussis) boosters as we've had confirmed cases in our county and I will certainly be getting one of those. Unless they force me at work, I'm passing on the flu shot.
Just my opinion.

I know you asked for replies from anti-shot people and you have plenty of those. To each their own, and I felt I might as well chime in as someone who didn't used to get shots due to the fear-of-chemicals reason some have posted here.

I noticed my brother-in-law MD always gets shots for himself and his kids, and he explained that the annual flu shot isn't proof against every flu virus out there, or against the lower-risk flus that many folks may still get. The shot is designed to stop researchers' best guess as to what the most virulent and dangerous strains will be that year -- the "killer flus," if you will. He also debunked some of the myths surrounding fear of chemicals and side effects as well, but I'll let you navigate your own myth-busting. I researched it via medical sources, and my kids and I get flu shots now.

(If you want to know the stats that others have mentioned for themselves, my kids are at home, breast-fed, and in thankfully good health.)

Check allergy (to eggs) concerns with your doc, do some research (of course, check the sources of info as you go) and here's wishing you good health no matter what!

My son and I don't get the flu shot just because they don't know what strand of flu will hit the area. They just guess as to which one is "the one" and mass produce it. I'm all for vaccines but the flu shot just seems silly. Yes, people can die from it, but why put more toxic chemicals for a chance that the one strand is the one that they actually hits. But that's my two cents.