S.A.
Vaccines in general do not make our immune systems weaker! When we are given a vaccine, most of the time we are given an inactive (killed) virus and our immune system sees is as a threat and produces anti-bodies. Sometimes the vaccines DO contain a live virus. Anti-bodies will attack that virus the next time it is introduced into our bodies - this is how our immune system NATURALLY works. The vaccine only introduces a microscopic amount of the germ compared to what we are exposed to through normal everyday exposure - but the difference is that the small amount is enough to teach our immune system to recognize and fight it without the immune system being overwhelmed by a large amount of the virus.
The H1N1 vaccine is NOT half mercury as another mom suggested. There are four types of H1N1 vaccine currently approved by the FDA. The PRE-FILLED SINGLE DOSE SYRINGES CONTAIN *NO* MERCURY. The NASAL VACCINE ALSO CONTAINS *NO* MERCURY. However, the multi-dose bottles that contain roughly 10 full doses DO contain a small amount of mercury - less than 25 mcg PER DOSE. ONE mcg is ONE MICROGRAM. The medicines we usually take are measured in MILLIGRAMS. There are 100,000 MICROGRAMS in ONE MILLIGRAM and 1000 MILLIGRAMS in ONE GRAM to give you perspective of how little mercury is in the vaccines. There's probably more mercury in the water we swim in, fish we eat, and air we breathe!
I have not decided yet if I will immunize my 8 yr old against the flu and H1N1, but that is based on his other medical conditions including several allergies to some of the inactive ingredients and I might not immunize myself because of my allergies to things like MSG.
Here is some more info on the vaccines:
Sanofi Pasteur’s injected vaccine: Approved for ALL age groups (infants 6 months of age through adulthood and the elderly). It comes in several forms:
* Prefilled single ½ dose syringe with NO mercury – for infants 6 thru 35 months of age. Prefilled single full dose syringe with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
* Single-dose (full-dose) vial with NO mercury – for anyone 3 years and older.
* Multidose bottle (contains ten full doses or twenty ½ doses) WITH 25 mcg of mercury per full dose – for anyone 6 months and older (infants 6 to 35 months would get a half dose (0.25 ml), 3 years and older would get the full 0.5 ml dose).
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, egg proteins, gelatin, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol p-isooctyphenyl ether, sucrose.
CSL’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 18 years and older. It comes in two forms:
* Prefilled single-dose syringe with NO mercury.
* Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 24.5 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, calcium, taurodeoxycholate, egg protein, 2 antibiotics, and beta-propiolactone.
Novartis’s injected vaccine: Approved for anyone 4 years and older. It comes in two forms:
* Prefilled single-dose syringes with a trace amount of mercury (less than 1 mcg because 99% of it is filtered out).
* Multidose bottle with ten doses WITH 25 mcg of mercury per dose.
Other ingredients include: the viral proteins, sodium chloride, phosphate, egg proteins, two antibiotics, betapropiolactone, nonylphenol ethoxylate.
MedImmune’s live virus nasal spray vaccine: Approved for anyone 2 years through 49 years of age. There is no mercury.
Other ingredients include: the live viruses, egg protein, MSG, pig gelatin, arginine, sucrose, potassium phosphate, an antibiotic,
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/index.asp