HappyGrace Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Dh is thinking about it. I am generally (VERY) hands-off with that kind of stuff but I told him I'd look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2boysmom Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 My family and I have been getting the shots for the past 3 years. We haven't had the flu since that time. Previous to that, we had the flu every year, so I wanted to give it a try. For us, it seems to have worked. No one in our family has had the flu in 3 years and we are in contact with lots of kids and families, church, etc.. If any thing else, it builds up our immunity some? Not sure, but we were not into shots before because of the cost, but now, I think it's worth it at least it worked for us. My sister is a schoolteacher and gets the shot every year. She also doesn't ever seem to get the flu. I only know what the results have been for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Unbiased? Nowhere. Do your due diligence and make an informed decision. When I was deciding, I even learned a little immunology so that I could really understand what a vaccine actually is and exactly HOW it works once injected into the body. (I remember reading the PDR even) Different strokes for different folks. Even with the same info, some people are anti-vax and some are pro. Good luck with your decision!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 (edited) It is hard to find truly unbiased info. I like the Cochrane database reviews and they raise good points to consider. If you find reading studies intimidating, they also give "plain language summaries" which is a nice option for those who find it difficult to wade through medical lingo. http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001269.html On the "unbiased" portion, note their warning about what does get published (interesting no matter which side of the fence you fall on, IMO, and good to keep in mind as you read other studies.) WARNING: This review includes 15 out of 36 trials funded by industry (four had no funding declaration). An earlier systematic review of 274 influenza vaccine studies published up to 2007 found industry funded studies were published in more prestigious journals and cited more than other studies independently from methodological quality and size. Studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccines. The review showed that reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies. The content and conclusions of this review should be interpreted in light of this finding. Eta: Cochrane has an excellent reputation in the medical community and is not an "alternative" type source, fwiw. Edited November 3, 2011 by Momof3littles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Do you have a family doctor (or paediatrician?) whom you trust? I would suggest that you discuss it with that person. People will tell you this story and that story [here's mine: we get the flu shot every year; we believe it's safe and effective] and link to to this report and that report - but unless you have a medical background, it's very difficult to wade through everything and decide what is valid and what is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Mine regularly prescribed alternative therapies and delayed vaccines for her own children. In my case, she recommended a flu vaccine. If I didn't have asthma and was not the primary driver and errand-runner, I probably would skip it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HayesW Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'd suggest you start by reading the package insert for the flu vaccine. It states that it has never actually been proven to lower the incident of contracting the flu. It is also widely accepted that it does nothing to lower the rate of death from flu and complications of the flu in the elderly, which is the reason it was developed. We are delayed vaccinators, primarily because I don't like giving my tiny people so many shots. just so you know our stance on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 (edited) With flu vaccines, it's probably best to stick to the medical science. You will not get unbiased info from any anecddotes here. Stay away from any websites pushing "alternative remedies" and the like. Here are a couple of links to get you started: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm Edited November 3, 2011 by Iucounu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Completely unbiased info is going to be very hard to come by. Since others have shared anecdotes, here's mine. I had the flu shot every year from the year I was pg with Rebecca until Sylvia turned 2. Both girls got them too. The year Sylvia turned 2, she was eligible for the FluMist, and as Becca is deathly scared of needles, we three got the mist. We three got terribly ill. :glare: Never again. Since then we haven't even gotten the flu shot and have been perfectly healthy. Otherwise, the girls were fully vaccinated on time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Not scientific or truely unbiased but here is what we do. :001_smile: DH got a flu shot because he travels every week for business. This involves time in airports and on planes which is like swimming in illness soup. :lol: The flu shot won't be a prevent all but every little bit helps. The draw back is that he is sensistive to thimerisol (preservative containing mercury). He became sensitized to it through its presence in his previous contact lens solution. He does not usually get the flu shot but he went ahead anyway, he was a little stiff and hot for a day and his eyes were HOLLYWOOD MONSTER RED for several days. He still thought it was a good trade off this year because of the travel. I don't have reactions to flu shots so I got on just because I am the only parent around the house right now and I don't want to get laid up when I am responsible for so many different things right now. DD1 usually gets the shot because she has immune issues and severe illnesses kick them off. DD2 usually does not. She is a strong healthy young woman and does not get sick often. If she does she can take the downtime to deal with it. Different solutions based on individual health and life styles. I hope you find what you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thank you for the leads on links and also the anecdotes! We have a ped appt next wk and will discuss it w/ her (totally trust her and she is conservative) but I am mainly leaning pretty hard against it at this point. (and we are vaxed but did delay) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Unbiased? Nowhere. :iagree: Everyone has an agenda pro or anti. Except, it's the consensus in the scientific community that the anti-vax folks have relied on faulty studies and pseudoscience. Now, if you refuse to accept that gathered wisdom, then that's fine. There are certainly naysayers and the consensus of the scientific community has been wrong before. But the peer-reviewed, accepted by the scientific community evidence that is out there to date is definitely clearly weighted that vaccinations are statistically a safer choice for society and individuals than non-vaccinating. No choice is totally safe though, so you have to decide for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlychan Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 We all get them here. We have had the flu and were all sick at the same time. I NEVER want that to happen again. If a little shot (or mist in the kids' case) can lower the risk of that horrible week I am game. Not un-biased, but true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 At least in the past, the mist was made from a live virus. The shot is from a killed virus. My story- had the flu a year before getting pg with ds17. Have not missed the shot since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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