Flu Shot - Chicago,IL

My husband and I get the shot, but my kids do NOT.

I have some of the healthiest kids I know. I give them high doses of Vitamin D3 (2000 IU for the 28 month old and 3000 IU for the 5 year old). They also get daily probiotics. One has never been vaccinated at all, and the other has had some, but not since he was under 2. The more research I have done on vaccines, the more unwilling I am to do it.

I am not getting the flu shot and nobody in my family does either. I am in the medical field and almost everyone I work with refused the flu shot. As far as the H1n1 vaccine, they have not done any long term studies. Dont forget the the makers of the H1n1 vacine were the ones who shiped live bird flu in a vaccine to another country. They said it was an accident. It was only caught because the other country tested the vaccine before giving it to people.

no one in my family has EVER had a flu shot. Last year the most sick that we got (and my 5 year old was in preschool then too) was just a little runny nose and that's it. My kids dr. is Dr. Sears here in CA and he actually does not recomend the flu shot at all.

Don't do it! It doesn't work and is loaded with Aluminum and mercury, plus only 30% of the people that get vaccinated for anything actually build an antibody to it. Go to Dr. Mercola's website to have ALL your questions answered about vaccines. Good luck with your decision. Trust your gut.

Another Registered nurse here! :) Me nor my child will or have ever got the flu shot.

There was a very similar question just a few days ago.
My kids are much older, 20 and 16 YEARS. I also am a registered nurse with over 25 year of experience. I have NEVER had the flu shot. Neither has anyone in my family. IF we have ever had the flu it has been very mild.
I certainly would not get the current flu shot or anything that contained an H1N1 vaccine since it really has not been studied for long term side effects.

The times I got the flu shot, (back in the day before I researched vaccines), I always ended up with the flu. Now I have kids and have learned a lot about these things. I choose to boost my children's immune systems naturally and opt out on the shots. Check out Super Immunity for Kids by Dr. Leo Galland...easy, healthy ways to boost immunities thru essential fatty acids in their diet. My toddler is never sick, even her pedi is amazed. Here's a link for the book on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Superimmunity-Kids-Children-Healthy...

My children and I have never gotten any flu shots. As I understand it, the flu shot may handle one or two particular strains of the flu but there are so many variations of the flu bug that, just because you are getting the shot, it doesn't meant that you won't get sick anyway. What I do instead is try to load us up on immunity fortifying foods instead like citrus fruits for vitamin C, walnuts for omega 3, wheat bran for zinc, etc. I think that if we are healthy and our immunity is as it should be, if we do come down with a flu bug, we will be less at risk for it to cause us to become gravely ill. That's just how we handle cold and flu season. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

I answered a similar question before so i'm just going to past it here

Each year the scientist make a new vaccine for what they think will be the strand of the flu. They can't predict which strand of the flu will be the most spread, so they kind of just guess. The shot that you get will protect against A strand, but not against B. But if you've had C, D, E, F and so on in the past and E strikes, then you wont get sick. So yes you still can get sick when you have had the shot. Soooo. . . it's really up to you and not what others say.

the only year i got the flu was the year i got the flu shot. I dont see any reason to risk another vaccination in an already huge list of "required" vaccinations these kids are now required all to avoid a few days of illness. Illness is good practice for your young ones immune system. Australia has pulled one flu vaccine for its huge side effects in children and now so has Finland... why risk it? Have you gone to the FDA website and read the package inserts for the different ones? Are you aware of the ingredients? are you aware of the safety testing thy have done? I suggest reading those so you can see how not well tested any are and what exactly is in one. Keep your kid eating healthy and make sure she is taking a good quality vitamin ( you get what you pay for) and keep her active! and if you happen to deal with the flu just remember it exercised her immune system a little!

Hi A..
My husband and i have never gotten the flu shot, and our 17 month old son has never gotten it. I definitely will NOT be giving it to him this year because it has the H1n1 in it. Way to new and not enough info. IMO, if you have to think about it that much, you are not comfortable giving it. Good luck!

You are right to be concerned about the H1N1 addition to this year's flu shot. I used to get the shots all the time, and I had my older son vaccinated for the first couple of years, too. Until I started reading up on the flu shot, that is. First of all, flu shots prevent the flu for about 1 in 100 people vaccinated. Not very good odds, in my opinion. The H1N1 vaccine was highly controversial last year because it was rushed out. I was pregnant last year and I had to fight my doctor because I refused to have that shot when there had so obviously been little to no research on the effects it would have on those who received it. Now, to address your question about this year's flu vaccine specifically...the same vaccine available to us this year has been banned in Australia and Finland because it has been directly linked to death and disease to children under the age of 6. There is no way either of my sons will receive this vaccine, and I can't imagine myself choosing to get it for myself either. There is always a risk of coming in contact with someone who has the flu, even if you stay at home with your little one. And yes, it is MISERABLE if they come down with it. But my thoughts are would I rather deal with a week of the flu, or a lifetime of regret? (That sounds drastic, I know. But that's what I think about this particular issue.)

We don't do it. None of us have ever had the flu - it's really quite rare, and rarer still to cause any serious complications, especially in healthy people. When you inject a vaccine into your child you KNOW that you are introducing foreign substances into their small bodies - you have to weigh this against the CHANCE that they will get sick without the vaccine. In this case, I'm taking the chance.

My kids and I will definitely get the flu shot.

#1. They are both daycare kids and I'll bet there are many parents who are scared into NOT getting the shot, so their kids will get the flu and then pass it along to my kids. Um, not interested in that whatsoever.

#2. I work in a high school with 3000+ students and 250+ staff members, so basically a germ factory. I don't want to get the flu or H1N1, get sick, and then bring it home to my kids.

The CDC website is a great source of up-to-date, factual information.

My entire family caught H1n1 last year. It was particularly bad for us. There is a huge range of symptoms and many people we know only had a mild form. We had a severe form. My son, then age 2 1/2, was particularly sick. Days of very high fevers. Excrutiating leg pain that was so bad he could not stand or walk. A cough that persisted for months afterwards. Even now, it is as if his lungs were damaged -- every sniffle turns into a horrible long lasting cough. I will buck the trend here and recommend that you get the shot. You do not want to catch what we had. That being said -- if your daughter is your first and you are able to avoid germy places you may be safe. I have 2 older school-aged kids who bring home a ton of stuff. Good luck!

The current CDC reccomendations are:

Who Should Get Vaccinated
On February 24, 2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year starting with the 2010-2011 influenza season. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people.

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that the following groups get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications:

1.Pregnant women
2.Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
3.People 50 years of age and older
4.People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5.People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6.People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
a.Health care workers
B.Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
c.Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Not sure if this helps you or not. I will get a flu shot for myself (pregnant) and also for my son, who is nearly 3.

The flu shot is fine, I've gotten it for years. I'd just recommend you get it from her pediatrician. As far as h1n1, I was preg last year and preg women and children were (are) considered high risk. So I got it, my 2 yo at the time and hubby. We knew someone who got The virus and it kicked the sh** out of her. Your baby's health is too important to risk. Even if you are home, you still go to store, park, play dates, and hubby goes to work with other people. I haven't even Heard if h1n1 is a threat this year, but last year some 1500 people died of it, but on average each year 50,000 die of influenza. So you do the math. Get the flu shot to start and talk to the pediatrician about how serious h1n1 is. Good luck.

No one in my family ever gets the flu shot. But we do know the importance at this time of year of hand washing, eating well and getting enough sleep. With that said we rarely get sick. My sister and all of her children get the shot and all of them end up sick at least twice a year. I don't think their bodies can fight anything itself because of the shot.
Good luck hope that helps

Hi, there is sooooooo much debate on this, isn't there?! I really think this is personal choice. My hubby and I do not get the shot, and I don't give my kids the shot - I just don't believe in them. If they are going to get sick, they are going to get sick in my opinion. I just hear so many stories of people getting sick (as a side affect from the flu shot); not to mention they pick one strain, and it could be another strain... I just don't want to subject my kids to another shot (and I totally believe in the regular shots that all kids should have). Good luck in whatever you decide - tough decision being a parent! :)

We get the flu shots every year. I just read an article where a 6'7" football player (never sick a day in his life) was laid low by H1N1 for at least 3 games. He's getting a shot this year. He doesn't want to go through that misery again.
Other flu stories:
http://shotbyshot.org/story-gallery
Additional:
Dr Tenpenny - she sure wants to sell a lot
She is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. (Kind of like massage therapy).
The thing is, as far as her expertise on vaccines goes, the US Court of Federal Claims rejected her as an expert in the field of vaccines because
"Expertise is not acquired through osmosis or accretion, just as television interviews do not an expert make. Her ideas on vaccine injury have not been exposed to any critical analysis of those in the relevant field, let alone peer-reviewed medical journals. There is no way to ascertain whether Dr. Tenpenny’s opinion is credibly accepted by those who would know; there are only the patent defects in her report that militate for the opposite. "
http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/ABELL.V...
I'm not certain she is a credible person to listen to.

My husband, daughter (2 1/2) and myself got the flu shot for the first time last year because we all ended up getting the flu when my daughter was only 14 months old and it was horrible. I had it the worst (my daughter and husband were able to recognize symptoms quicker and got to dr. for Tamiflu that helped them to not get as sick as I was). However because I just thought I had a really bad URI, I was severely dehydrated and had a temp of 103.8 by the time I got to the ER. I would take a flu shot anyday over that, none of us had any side effects from the vaccine last year and I will absolutely have all of us vaccinated this year. Hope this helps!

I definetely get it myself as well as for my husband. We have been getting it for several years although I never remember actually having the flu...maybe as a kid? My son is 2 1/2 and no longer in the high risk group so he wont be getting it. He got it last year and when he was 7 months old. I think under 2 years of age is the high risk group. Make sure whatever you decide is thimeresol free. They offer both anyplace you go. If I were you, I would get it because not only could you pass it on to your child but imagine taking care of a toddler laid up with the flu?

My children and I get a flu shot every year and none of us has experienced any ill effects from it. Of course, each individual is different. Just so you know, the flu vaccine is "new" every year. They research and predict which 3 strains will be prevalent the most during the upcoming flu season and put those strains in the vaccine. Whatever you decide, make it an informed decision. Get the facts and talk to your doc about risks and benefits.

You don't need a flu shot. Noone does. Go see a chiropractor.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like information on a great chiropractor. I see the doctors of Health From Within Chiropractic in the SW suburbs.

I never got a flu shot as a child or in my pre-child adult years. But when my kids were born I got the flu shots for them as recommended by their ped. Then when my son got sick with leukemia it was recommended that everyone in the house get vaccinated. So we did and even though he is in remission and his immunity is stronger, we will get them again this year.

I always have had my kids get the flu shot (when they were old enough) and have gotten it myself in recent years because I live with young children, one with asthma. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't bother because I'm in such a low-risk category. I do have them get the shots at their pediatrician's office so their doctor makes sure they are in good health and ready for the appropriate shot, so I've never experienced a health clinic or anything for them. I feel much safer having them get that, especially with my younger one's tendency to have breathing problems.

I'm opting not to get my kids the shot this year because of the H1N1 has been added to it. I find it odd how many people say "oh, I had it last year and was fine". The possible side effects may not hit the person until 10-20 years from now. I read somewhere if you take liquid vit D daily, it will ward off the flu. Costco sells it (it's pretty sweet and my kids don't like it, but if I add it to 7-up, they wont know the difference).

Good luck.

I don't know. We're having the same debate you are. My son did get the regular flu shot last year, but not the H1N1 shot, and I had planned on doing that again this year. However, we will have a newborn baby in the house this fall, and that does make me nervous. Good luck with whatever you decide.

We never have and once again will not be getting it (neither the adults nor the teens in our house).

Good luck with your decision.

Always a question that gets a ton of responses! My son has always gotten the flu shot, but he's always been in a daycare setting. He also got the h1n1 shot this past winter. I never had a flu shot until this last season - I was pregnant and the doc recommended...after much debate, I got the flu shot and the h1n1 (I also take public transportation everyday). It's a personal choice, I can tell you last year was the first where I didn't get the flu and it didn't make me or my son sick in any way. I'll be vaccinating both kids just because of the exposure to so other little ones - I feel like the pros outweigh the cons...

My husband and others I know have gotten sick after getting it. I never have gotten it, nor have my children. There is some good info on dr tenpenny's website and www.thedoctorwithin.com.