Remember, the eternal quest for health care is really just the eternal quest for eternal life. We all came here to die. You can stretch it out as long as You want, but when it's Your time, it's Your time. No vaccine or miracle drug (yet) is going to let You live forever. ;)
Not suggesting that these vaccines create the increase in health issues over the last 100 years, I'm simply pointing out that they haven't made Us healthier. People get sick with influenze and common cold more than We did before vaccines and international epidemics didn't exist before them. However, this is a combination of several factors including diet, exercise, etc. I'm just saying, stats don't suggest We get sick any less, though they do have a place with respect to epidemics like perhaps small pocks. I feel they should be used with extreme discretion as they were then. :)
 
Vaccines work through the immune system by triggering it to work in response to what they vaccinate against, your idea that they atrophy it by bypassing it is wrong.
 
Remember, the eternal quest for health care is really just the eternal quest for eternal life. We all came here to die. You can stretch it out as long as You want, but when it's Your time, it's Your time. No vaccine or miracle drug (yet) is going to let You live forever. ;)
Utter nonsense. Healthcare is about providing a good quality of life and preventing a premature ir unnecessary death.
 
Vaccines work through the immune system by triggering it to work in response to what they vaccinate against, your idea that they atrophy it by bypassing it is wrong.
I understand that and I would be perfectly okay with it if I knew exactly what was in it. I don't, so I don't trust it. Nobody injects Me with anything, though I give blood as often as I can.
 
Utter nonsense. Healthcare is about providing a good quality of life and preventing a premature ir unnecessary death.
I could show You an article where a mother had both of her children vaccinated AGAINST her will. The doctor literally took the baby away before the mother even had a chance to hold him. He went into cardiac arrest almost immediately, was hospitalized for several days and never made a full recovery, was diagnosed with autism. For her second child, the same result; once again against her will. If people want it, fine. Imposed on people - that's fascism, period.
 
I am not anti-anything except removal of freedoms. You want vaccines, fine. You don't want them, that should be fine, too. Having the government decide what is good for Us, not cool. If they cared, they would not allow most of the food on grocery store shelves.
 
Can you provide some science showing that vaccines make us weaker and more susceptible to disease as you've stated?


I understand that and I would be perfectly okay with it if I knew exactly what was in it.

Here you go, now you know, so no problem! Happy Vaccinating.

http://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vaccine-ingredients
Vaccine Ingredients
In addition to the main ‘active ingredient’ (a virus, bacterium, or a substance derived from these), vaccines may contain:

Most vaccines now do not contain the preservative thiomersal.

Somewhat confusingly, the list of vaccine ingredients will, unlike food product listings, also include all products used during the production process, even if they do not remain in the finished product. These may include formaldehyde, antibiotics, egg proteins, yeast proteins, human cell-lines, or animal cell-lines.

Vaccine ingredients can look scary because we are not used to seeing them listed in products intended for use in humans, but this does not mean they are dangerous. For example, people may think of formaldehyde as a chemical used to preserve dead bodies, and do not know that formaldehyde is found naturally in the bloodstream.

A complete list of ingredients can be found on the Patient Information Leaflet and Summary of Product Characteristics sheet for each vaccine. See the list on our links page.

Aluminium
Aluminium is used in vaccines in the form of salts such as aluminium hydroxide, aluminium phosphate, and potassium aluminium sulphate. Aluminium salts are an important component of vaccines since they act as adjuvants, strengthening and lengthening the immune response to the vaccine.

Aluminium can be harmful in large quantities. However, the amount of aluminium present in vaccines is very small. Although vaccination does result in a temporary increase in the amount of aluminium in the body of infants, this is not a lasting effect, since the body gets rid of most of the aluminium in just a few days. There is no evidence that this causes any risk to babies and children. Aluminium is also found naturally in breast milk, formula milk, some foods and drinking water, and small amounts accumulate in children’s bodies as a result. Two studies from 2002 and 2011 compared the impact of aluminium from diet and vaccines in infants. Both of these found that the total amount of aluminium absorbed from both sources is significantly less than the recommended safe maximum amount. The 2011 study concluded that 'the benefits of using vaccines containing aluminium adjuvant outweigh any theoretical concerns'.

Read the abstracts of these studies here (2002) and here (2011).

It is now thought unlikely that there is a relationship between aluminium and Alzheimer’s disease. There is currently no evidence to suggest that aluminium exposure increases the risk of dementia.

Thiomersal
Thiomersal is a mercury compound used as an antiseptic and antifungal agent. It is not found in any of the childhood vaccines routinely used in the UK, but is still widely used outside of Europe and America in vaccines produced in the cheaper multi-dose format. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that there is no evidence of risk from thiomersal in vaccines. Read the full WHO statement here.

Gelatin
Gelatin derived from pigs is used in certain vaccines to protect the viruses against the effects of temperature. The only vaccines containing gelatin in the UK routine schedule are the MMR vaccine and the nasal flu vaccine (Fluenz). There have been a tiny number of cases of allergic reaction to vaccines containing gelatin (around 1 in 2 million cases). People with a known allergy to gelatin should seek expert advice before receiving vaccines containing gelatin.

Religious groups such as Muslims and Jews may be concerned about using vaccines that contain gelatin from pigs. Many religious leaders have ruled that this use of gelatin does not break religious dietary laws. Gelatin in vaccines is highly purified and hydrolysed (broken down by water), so it is different from natural gelatin. It is also injected rather than ingested (eaten). See the October 2013 Public Health England statement about this. In 2001 the World Health Organization consulted with over 100 Muslim scholars, who judged that it was acceptable for Muslims to receive vaccines containing gelatin. See their statement here.

Human Serum Albumin
Human serum albumin, derived from human blood, is used as a protein stabilizer in the MMR vaccine (0.3mg/dose). It is derived from screened donors, and the manufacturing process eliminates any risk of transmitting viruses. No viral diseases have ever been associated with the use of human serum albumin.

Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is an organic compound used in the production of some vaccines. It is used to inactivate poliovirus, HepB antigen, and diphtheria and tetanus toxins. It is possible that tiny traces may remain in the HepB vaccine, 5-in-1 DTaP/IPV/Hib, pre-school booster 4-in-1 DTaP/IPV, and teenage booster Td/IPV vaccines. The human body produces formaldehyde itself as part of the metabolism process. The amount of natural formaldehyde in a 2-month-old infant’s blood (around 1.1 milligrams) is ten times greater than the amount found in any vaccine (less than 0.1 milligrams).

Antibiotics
Antibiotics are used during the manufacturing process of some vaccines to prevent bacterial contamination. However, antibiotics which have been associated with allergic reactions (such as penicillins, cephalosporins and sulphonamides) are not used in vaccines. Three vaccines contain a trace of neomycin: the MMR vaccine, one of the Pre-school Booster vaccines used in the UK, and the shingles vaccine. People with a known allergy to this specific antibiotic should seek expert advice before receiving these vaccines. One of the Pre-school Booster vaccines also contains a trace of streptomycin, and the Nasal Flu vaccine contains a trace of gentamicin.

Egg Proteins
Around 1 in 20 people are allergic to egg, and egg allergy is much more common in children than in adults. There are two vaccines in the current UK schedule which may contain egg proteins:

  • The MMR vaccine: the measles and mumps viruses are grown on a culture which contains chick embryo cells. There is only a tiny amount of residual egg protein found in the MMR vaccine - approximately 40 picograms (that is 0.000 000 000 04g). This is not enough to cause allergic reactions, and children with severe egg allergies can safely receive the MMR.
  • The nasal flu vaccine (Fluenz): the flu virus is grown on fertilised hens' eggs and the vaccine may contain residues of the egg proteins. At the moment there are no data on the use of Fluenz in children with an egg allergy. They should therefore be given an alternative vaccine, either an egg-free inactivated flu vaccine (if available) or, following specialist medical advice, a vaccine with a very low albumin content.
Most of the annual flu vaccines for adults also contain egg proteins, as the virus is often grown on fertilised hens’ eggs. Other non-routine vaccines, such as yellow fever vaccine, may also contain egg proteins. Those with egg allergy should always ask about egg protein content before receiving a vaccine.

Yeast Proteins
Yeast is not used in the production of any of the vaccines used in the UK routine schedule, except for the Gardasil HPV vaccine. UK Department of Health advice is that Gardasil can be given to yeast-allergy sufferers because the final vaccine product does not contain any yeast.

A tiny quantity of yeast protein may remain in Hepatitis B vaccines, though there is no evidence that this can cause allergic reactions.

Human Cell-lines
Cell culture is the process by which cells derived from living organisms are grown and reproduced in a controlled laboratory environment. In the manufacture of some vaccines, such as the MMR, cultures containing human cell-lines are used to grow a virus. This is because the virus is specific to humans and will not grow in any other medium. The cell-line used in the production of the rubella element of the MMR is grown on a cell culture called WI-38, while the shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is grown on MRC-5. These cultures originated in lung cells taken from two different aborted foetus in the 1960s (the foetuses were not aborted for this purpose). None of the original cells remain in the culture. It is possible that traces of the cell-culture may remain in the vaccines.

Some people have concerns about using a vaccine produced using foetal tissue. The Vatican’s position on the matter is that ‘it is acceptable to use vaccines developed from abortions that were carried out decades ago, because immunizations play a vital role in protecting life by preventing illness and death’ (Statement by the Pontifical Academy for Life, 2005).

Animal Cell-lines
Cell culture is the process by which cells derived from living organisms are grown and reproduced in a controlled laboratory environment. Cultures containing animal cell-lines are used for growing viruses for use in certain vaccines including the 5-in-1 DTaP/IPV/Hib and MMR vaccines. The polio virus element of the 5-in-1 vaccine is grown on Vero cells, that is a cell-line originally derived from the kidney of the African green monkey. The measles and mumps elements of the MMR are grown on a culture derived from cells taken from a chick embryo. These facts are sometimes distorted by anti-vaccine campaigners, in order to suggest that vaccines are a kind of witch’s potion, or that there is a risk that animal disease may be transmitted by vaccines.

An article from 2003 giving further detailed information on vaccine ingredients can be found here.
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Your precious mercury was replaced with aluminum, which is even more toxic than mercury.

Aluminium is also found naturally in breast milk, formula milk, some foods and drinking water, and small amounts accumulate in children’s bodies as a result. Two studies from 2002 and 2011 compared the impact of aluminium from diet and vaccines in infants. Both of these found that the total amount of aluminium absorbed from both sources is significantly less than the recommended safe maximum amount. The 2011 study concluded that 'the benefits of using vaccines containing aluminium adjuvant outweigh any theoretical concerns'.
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Aluminium is also found naturally in breast milk, formula milk, some foods and drinking water, and small amounts accumulate in children’s bodies as a result. Two studies from 2002 and 2011 compared the impact of aluminium from diet and vaccines in infants. Both of these found that the total amount of aluminium absorbed from both sources is significantly less than the recommended safe maximum amount. The 2011 study concluded that 'the benefits of using vaccines containing aluminium adjuvant outweigh any theoretical concerns'.
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I'd be interested in seeing that article if You can post it. I would certainly NOT put any vaccine in My body based on the list of ingredients You have provided. Yes, I understand they declare them safe, but studies suggest otherwise... The link I sent included is a good start. As for evidence that those who don't get vaccinated are healthier, I have no evidence except My own physical body. I'm forty, I don't get sick, I was a competitive cyclist and won My division (cat 4) in My first year of racing at 33, most of My competitors were almost half My age. I do five sets of chin ups every second day and five sets of push ups every other day. Fitness and diet is the key to good health, not drugs or vaccines. But that's just Me. Like I said, not opposed to the idea, I just believe We should have the freedom to choose. If We don't, something is up. I give no one dominion over My body under any circumstance.
 
It's from the post above that shows the ingredients in vaccines.

Here's a another one.

http://www.chop.edu/service/vaccine...cine-safety/vaccine-ingredients/aluminum.html
Aluminum is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon, and it is the most abundant metal making up almost 9 percent of the earth's crust. Aluminum is found in plants, soil, water and air. Most plants have low quantities of aluminum, but a few are known to be aluminum accumulators, including some types of tea plants, grasses and orchids.
...

The aluminum contained in vaccines is similar to that found in a liter (about 1 quart or 32 fluid ounces) of infant formula. While infants receive about 4.4 milligrams of aluminum in the first six months of life from vaccines, they receive more than that in their diet. Breast-fed infants ingest about 7 milligrams, formula-fed infants ingest about 38 milligrams, and infants who are fed soy formula ingest almost 117 milligrams of aluminum during the same period.

Quantities of Aluminum in Vaccines

  • Pneumococcal vaccine 0.125 mg/dose
  • Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine < 0.17 to < 0.625 mg/dose
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine 0.225 mg/dose
  • Hib/ Hep B vaccine 0.225 mg/dose
  • Hepatitis A vaccine (Hep A) 0.225 to 0.25 mg/dose (pediatrics)
  • 0.45 to 0.5 mg/dose (adults)
  • Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) 0.225 to 0.5 mg/dose
  • Hep A/ Hep B vaccine 0.45 mg/dose
  • DTaP/inactivated polio/ Hep B vaccine < 0.85 mg/dose
  • DTaP/inactivated polio/Hib vaccine 0.33 mg/dose
  • Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine 0.225 mg/dose
  • Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine 0.25 mg/dose
  • Quantities of Aluminum in Other Things
  • Breast milk 0.04 milligrams per liter (mg/L)
  • Ponds, lakes, streams 0.1 mg/L
  • Infant formula 0.225 mg/L
  • Soy-based formula 0.46 to 0.93 mg/L
  • Buffered aspirin 10 to 20 mg/tablet
  • Antacid 104-208 mg/tablet
Given the quantities of aluminum we are exposed to on a daily basis, the quantity of aluminum in vaccines is miniscule. Aluminum-containing vaccines have been used for decades and have been given to over one billion people without problem. In spring 2000, the National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) reviewed aluminum exposure through vaccines and determined that no changes to vaccine recommendations were needed based on aluminum content. The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has also reviewed studies and found no evidence of health risks that would require changes to vaccine policy.
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Whooping cough. It's not pleasant, so I've heard.

More study evidence of the risks associated with aluminum.
Yes, aluminium in certain quantities can be toxic of course, however it is a ubiquitous substance we are in contact with every day in some form either through ingestion, contact, or in dust we breathe, and has been for as long as we've been here. It's right to study it's effect on us when we start getting more of it into ourselves with increases in pollution or industrial processes or food production - but it's understood that it does no damage, or has not been proven to, at the levels we are getting in vaccines, and generally in everyday life. There are also many different compounds of aluminium which can have different effects on us.
Have a skim through the wiki to get an idea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium


(interesting factoid....)
Ancient Greeks and Romans used aluminium salts as dyeing mordants and as astringents for dressing wounds; alum is still used as a styptic.
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Because the author's argument is no more credible than the article I sent, which is exactly My point. The article is an opinion (seemingly) with no clinical study evidence to support it.

Like what? Is it opinion that thimerisal has been removed from most vaccines? That there has consistently been no causative link between the relatively low doses of thimerisal found in vaccines and negative developmental effects? What evidence is there to the contrary? That is what I'm asking you to present.

http://www.nature.com/clpt/journal/v82/n6/full/6100407a.html
http://cjns.metapress.com/content/n...le&issn=0317-1671&volume=33&issue=4&spage=341
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10997

Think of it like a wheel chair. If there was nothing wrong with Your legs but You chose to stop using them for long enough, eventually You will need the wheelchair, You're legs will stop developing muscles. Immune system is like a muscle, it needs exercise and it needs to develop naturally.

In that analogy, think of vaccines as a training program for your immune system. Vaccines strengthen the immune system by priming it with antibodies. You can't just say that it's not "natural" and therefore not good. With vaccines, our immune systems are prepared to fight off diseases that would have commonly killed many of us at relatively young ages.

None of these shots were mandatory 20 years ago and health has gone down since, not up. Especially with respect to mental health; specifically ADHD and autism.

ADHD and autism have always been around, the methods of diagnosing it have just developed more, leading to more diagnosed cases. How has health declined since 20 years ago? Can you present some statistics on that?

More study evidence of the risks associated with aluminum.

You need to understand that dosage and context make the poison. Unless you are presenting studies that demonstrate a link between aluminum dosages and compounds relevant to vaccines in a way that makes physiological sense, you're presenting irrelevant information. The children in the article you posted were receiving doses of phosphate binders containing 240-800mg/kg of aluminum daily for four to twelve months. Compare those numbers to Pete's chart of aluminum per vaccine dose, and it becomes clear that the study doesn't translate to vaccines.

I would certainly NOT put any vaccine in My body based on the list of ingredients You have provided.

Why not? Each component plays a part. Do you not understand that vaccines are tested extensively in human trials before being made available to the public? That sometimes, even if it has the potential to be incredibly useful, a particular vaccine that shows even one sign of scientific evidence that it could be harmful in any way will be withheld from the market, forcing the researchers to work for another decade to demonstrate its safety? Only then it will be available. It's not something researchers and regulators take lightly.
 
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I don't remember because I was only 3 months old, but I almost died from it.

If too many people refuse to get vaccinated, herd immunity will no longer protect those that have not yet received a shot. Like the very young, and the very unlucky anti-vaxers. Here you go @RealTruth , herd immunity explained in 2 minutes and 47 seconds...



It's a little tricky to understand but getting vaccinated does not completely protect a person from contracting a disease. The person can still get sick. Vaccines, however, significantly reduce the chance of any one person from getting sick.

The key to real protection is widespread vaccinations. So if an outbreak does occur, it can't as easily spread throughout the population. Herd immunity, there’s strength in numbers.

"A person's decision to not immunize doesn't affect just them," says Marian Michaels, MD, professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. "It affects the entire public."

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20518599,00.html
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I'm just saying, stats don't suggest We get sick any less,

The stats suggest that we get less sick from the diseases we're getting vaccinated against.

though they do have a place with respect to epidemics like perhaps small pocks. I feel they should be used with extreme discretion as they were then. :)

So you agree vaccines helped fight against smallpox. That's encouraging.

Now why do you believe vaccines should not be used against other epidemics that kill people like Diphtheria, Hepatitis, Papillomavirus, influenza, Measles, Pertussis, Rubella, Typhoid?
 
Talking of getting vaccinated - when should I personally get a vaccine? I haven't had one since childhood, and am not a traveller. The discussion around vaccination makes it seem like it is my moral responsibility to go out and seek vaccination. Is this true and when am I supposed to do this?
 
If you've gotten your childhood vaccinations, you've mostly done your part. Seasonal flu, however, can be especially nasty to certain individuals. A healthy person can be affected by the flu or carry it without symptoms and turn out just fine, but if that person passes it on to someone who is immunocompromised or the strain happens to be particularly nasty, it could end up causing deaths. Here is a Q&A page fro the CDC with all of the suggestions on flu vaccines.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm
 
Medical records of vaccinations are normally given to the parents as well as kept in the clinic that administered them. If you can't find that information the safest thing to do would be to receive the shots again but doctors can also do blood tests to see if you have immunity to certain diseases.
 
Recently in social media I've seen a few people claiming that the polio vaccine is unsafe and can cause polio. Among the stories told to support these claims is one involving 200,000 people contracting the virus from vaccines given in the 1950's. There is a real story to this, and it is one of the events in medical history that probably still contributes to the mistrust of vaccines and pharmaceutical medicine.
In 1955, pediatricians in some eastern countries of the United States started reporting cases of paralysis in young children recently injected with a polio vaccine from one of the six private pharmaceutical companies distributing it (often for free) at the time. This particular distributor was called Cutter Laboratories and this story has since been dubbed the "Cutter Incident." After the reports, head of the Epidemic Intelligence Agency, Alexander Langmuir, urged for a recall of all polio vaccine lots and sent investigators to inspect the facilities. Cutter Laboratories were found to have several lots of polio vaccine that contained live virus. It turned out that they were not following Jonas Salk's protocol correctly and the virus was not being properly inactivated by formaldehyde. The problem was corrected and the staff properly trained, but the mark that the event left was already made. By the end of it, about 220,000 people were injected with the contaminated Cutter vaccine. Not everyone who is exposed to polio, however, will contract the disease. Out of the 220,000 people, about 70,000 developed muscle weakness, 164 were severely paralyzed, and 10 died. After the issue was resolved, not many parents wanted to get their children vaccinated. Shortly afterwards, a polio epidemic in Massachusetts demonstrated the risks a population takes when they choose to not get vaccinated.
Today, the polio vaccine is extremely safe. In con tries highly afflicted by the disease, an oral polio vaccine (OPV) is employed for efficiency's sake, as the goal is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. OPV can, in about 1 in every 2.7 million cases, cause polio in the patient. These cases are extremely rare and are thought to be a result of high immune system deficiency. This risk exists because the OPV contains live attenuated virus. Other forms of the vaccine, however, do not share these risks, as the virus is inactivated.
Medicine is a story of successes and failures. A lot of money and research is poured into making a vaccine safe and effective and even then, mistakes sometimes still happen. Risks of being harmed by a vaccine today are smaller than ever, in part because those mistakes happened. So those who warn against it by telling and exaggerating stories of the past are being mislead and are misleading others.

Supplemental reading on polio:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1383764/
http://www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention/Thevaccines/Oralpoliovaccine(OPV).aspx
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6177/1302.full
 
no cases of Polio in India for 3 years:


MUMBAI: India as well as WHO's southeast Asia region was certified polio-free on Thursday by an independent commission under the WHO (World Health Organization) certification process.

Polio eradication is one of the biggest public health successes of India. From being one of the top three countries reporting polio, there hasn't been a single polio case in the country for the last three years.
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I'm a parent of 4, and I once believed vaccines weren't safe or caused autism. It's funny because the first time I actually heard about this was from a speech therapist, who we brought our son too when he was about 2yrs old. Parents are funny these days, and we rarely have the time or patience to let things work themselves out anymore, like our parents did. And guess what, we all turned out just fine. But back to my son. He wouldn't speak a word before turning 2 beside the occasional mumble. So naturally, we were referred to a speech therapist that was under our plan (Horizon) and she came highly recommended. On the first visit withing 10 minutes of meeting her she thought my son "could" have autism and ADD or ADHD. 10 freaking minutes, and trust me half of the time was spent interviewing us. One of her questions stuck with us, and scared the crap out of me and my wife. She asked if he has taken his vaccinations already, and we told her of course he did. She shook her head and proceeded to fill us in on the vaccine "debacle" and how it could do this or that. By the time we left her office I thought my son was autistic, needed special education, and I was ready to open a law suit on my pediatrician. I was devastated. Long story short, she was out of her freaking mind. We did the research and I actually spoke with several doctors in the field and even emailed the CDC because I didn't know who else to turn to.

My son is fine, actually really intelligent for his age and gets along just fine in school. Sure he has his moments, but what boy doesn't.

My concern moving forward are these flu vaccines. Now I understand getting a vaccine for chicken pox or the measles, but why against a virus that constantly mutates. Now my daughter just turned 5 yrs of age and she's in preschool because she missed the cut off date. Schools just started doing this recently because I didn't have to deal with this with my son. If they are 5yrs and younger they are "required" to have a flu vaccine, and kids have to get 2 shots about 30 days apart their first time. My daughter has allergies and at times has to take a corticosteroid ointment or lotion on her skin. Some Dr's recommend the shot and others say NO, but the school doesn't care. I'm torn but I really don't want my daughter to get the flu vaccine, and most people I know who get it end up getting sick anyway. Most vaccines only carry 3 or 4 vaccines in them, and it just seems weird that we have to have our kids take these vaccines every year, when the flu virus mutates or there are several different varieties in the population...
 
I'm a parent of 4, and I once believed vaccines weren't safe or caused autism. It's funny because the first time I actually heard about this was from a speech therapist, who we brought our son too when he was about 2yrs old. Parents are funny these days, and we rarely have the time or patience to let things work themselves out anymore, like our parents did. And guess what, we all turned out just fine. But back to my son. He wouldn't speak a word before turning 2 beside the occasional mumble. So naturally, we were referred to a speech therapist that was under our plan (Horizon) and she came highly recommended. On the first visit withing 10 minutes of meeting her she thought my son "could" have autism and ADD or ADHD. 10 freaking minutes, and trust me half of the time was spent interviewing us. One of her questions stuck with us, and scared the crap out of me and my wife. She asked if he has taken his vaccinations already, and we told her of course he did. She shook her head and proceeded to fill us in on the vaccine "debacle" and how it could do this or that. By the time we left her office I thought my son was autistic, needed special education, and I was ready to open a law suit on my pediatrician. I was devastated. Long story short, she was out of her freaking mind. We did the research and I actually spoke with several doctors in the field and even emailed the CDC because I didn't know who else to turn to.

My son is fine, actually really intelligent for his age and gets along just fine in school. Sure he has his moments, but what boy doesn't.

My concern moving forward are these flu vaccines. Now I understand getting a vaccine for chicken pox or the measles, but why against a virus that constantly mutates. Now my daughter just turned 5 yrs of age and she's in preschool because she missed the cut off date. Schools just started doing this recently because I didn't have to deal with this with my son. If they are 5yrs and younger they are "required" to have a flu vaccine, and kids have to get 2 shots about 30 days apart their first time. My daughter has allergies and at times has to take a corticosteroid ointment or lotion on her skin. Some Dr's recommend the shot and others say NO, but the school doesn't care. I'm torn but I really don't want my daughter to get the flu vaccine, and most people I know who get it end up getting sick anyway. Most vaccines only carry 3 or 4 vaccines in them, and it just seems weird that we have to have our kids take these vaccines every year, when the flu virus mutates or there are several different varieties in the population...


The Flu vaccines that are given are based on averages and data collected over the last few decades. The CDC issues a vaccine based on the strain they THINK is going to be prevalent this year. As to WHY you should get them, my understanding from the medical community that Ive grown up around (and married into) is that they're most beneficial for those most at risk from the Flu.. IE the elderly and the very young. MOST of the time the CDC is pretty spot on with their predictions, but mother nature likes to throw a monkey wrench in the works now and then. Personally, I dont get the Flu vaccines.. but thats because Im in the prime of my life, healthy and have a healthy immune system. I also grew up with vaccines.. all the stuff you get before you go to school as a kid.. as well as vaccinations against Anthrax and a few other nasty bugs, while I was in the military. I turned out just fine (other than my warped and twisted sense of humor.. mwhaahahahahahahaha). My advice Jason, do what's best for you and what's been fairly well proven to be best for your kids.

I have yet to see any credible evidence anywhere that suggests that the vaccines are dangerous, cause problems, fill our bodies with nanobots that control our minds, etc. Just as with any type of medication, there IS the chance that your son/daughter/YOU may have some kind of unforseen reaction.. such as alleric reactions etc.. but those are very very very slim and very rare. I hope this helps.
 
I also grew up with vaccines.. all the stuff you get before you go to school as a kid.. as well as vaccinations against Anthrax and a few other nasty bugs, while I was in the military. I turned out just fine (other than my warped and twisted sense of humor.. mwhaahahahahahahaha)
:DLOL. Too funny, and do you go by a nick name on this forum because Svartbjorn is a tongue full and a handful at the keyboard and I can't do that fancy "0" with a line through it like your able to.

I have yet to see any credible evidence anywhere that suggests that the vaccines are dangerous, cause problems, fill our bodies with nanobots that control our minds, etc. Just as with any type of medication, there IS the chance that your son/daughter/YOU may have some kind of unforseen reaction.. such as alleric reactions etc.. but those are very very very slim and very rare. I hope this helps.
I too never had a flue shot, nor has my wife, nor my parents and most of my friends. I'm 38, so I don't know if that means I'm in the prime of my life like you are, but I feel pretty young, besides having 4 kids climbing all over me. I'm not worried in a CT sort of way about the flu shots. I'm a little pissed off to be honest with you that they are requiring kids 5 and younger to get the shot, and your first dose requires 2 shots spread out 30 days, to make sure they get all the flu vaccines. And your right the CDC does do an excellent job at predicting what lies ahead the following year, which is in of itself a mystery to me. Are they actually using science to predict future flue outbreaks, or is their a mad chemist sitting in the snack room rolling dice and taking odds. How do they go about predicting what lies ahead with respect to a virus, that mutates and honestly every year the flu hysteria starts in September, thanks in large part to the Media because they have nothing else report. But seriously, does anyone know what model they use. I know the vaccines are harmless for the most part, but I do hear about people getting sick after taking the shots. I also thought flu vaccines were meant for people with a better immune system or declining immune system, not ones that are being built up, like infants to age 5. Plus my daughter gets sick every year and even had pnuemonia last september and ended up in the hospital for 4 days. They say it has to do with her allergies, and the mucus dripping down her throat and into her lungs. So her immune system is already weaker than others, since she has allergies to begin with. I'm perplexed about all of this, and I really appreciate all of your kind words. Thanks:)
 
I too never had a flue shot, nor has my wife, nor my parents and most of my friends. I'm 38, so I don't know if that means I'm in the prime of my life like you are, but I feel pretty young, besides having 4 kids climbing all over me
the truth is, other than your boss (many companies offer the vaccine for free so employees don't miss work) I don't think anyone cares if us healthy people get the flu. the point is to protect the old and infants who can more easily die from the flu.

I used to love getting the flu every year...easiest way to lose 5 pounds after the holidays...but if I have it I can pass it to those with weak immune systems. that's the point with flu shots.
 
....also grew up with vaccines.. all the stuff you get before you go to school as a kid.. as well as vaccinations against Anthrax and a few other nasty bugs


ME TOO!!!!!

I haven't 'died' yet (that anyone has noticed, so far...).

Adding....my personal opinion is: Mother's breast milk is vital to an infant's viability and endurance. Sorry, but it is EVOLUTIONARY effects at work, within any species, and this includes we "humans" (Homo Homo Sapiens).

Survival of the fittest. Modern medical technology alters what nature (and DNA chemistry) already accomplishes...(as it does in ALL OTHER SPECIES). But, modern medicine is also "evolving"...(the term here, of "evolving" is a bit different in the definition...it relates to "Learning" due to science, and the scientific method of how knowledge advances).
 
...this includes we "humans" (Homo Homo Sapiens).
Hey TJ,
While I totally appreciate your enthusiastic and fabulous efforts to roll with the times, embrace the winds of change
(17 states, after all, have legalized gay marriage so far) and be the standard-bearer for the Gaga LGBTQA cultural revolution,
I think that most palaeoanthropologists still use "Homo sapiens sapiens" rather than your more glittery revision.


Screen Shot 2014-04-05 at 1.09.58 AM.png
 
Hey TJ,
While I totally appreciate your enthusiastic and fabulous efforts to roll with the times, embrace the winds of change
(17 states, after all, have legalized gay marriage so far) and be the standard-bearer for the Gaga LGBTQA cultural revolution,
I think that most palaeoanthropologists still use "Homo sapiens sapiens" rather than your more glittery revision.


Screen Shot 2014-04-05 at 1.09.58 AM.png

LOL!!!! I had a brain fart, there! Thanks for catching it....(or, was it a frain bart??)
 
Are they actually using science to predict future flue outbreaks, or is their a mad chemist sitting in the snack room rolling dice and taking odds. How do they go about predicting what lies ahead with respect to a virus, that mutates and honestly every year the flu hysteria starts in September, thanks in large part to the Media because they have nothing else report. But seriously, does anyone know what model they use. I know the vaccines are harmless for the most part, but I do hear about people getting sick after taking the shots. I also thought flu vaccines were meant for people with a better immune system or declining immune system, not ones that are being built up, like infants to age 5. Plus my daughter gets sick every year and even had pnuemonia last september and ended up in the hospital for 4 days. They say it has to do with her allergies, and the mucus dripping down her throat and into her lungs. So her immune system is already weaker than others, since she has allergies to begin with. I'm perplexed about all of this, and I really appreciate all of your kind words. Thanks:)

Predicting new flu strains is a tricky business. In short, it involves molecular genetics and calculus. We look at the gene pool of the successful strains in circulation in a current and then try to predict what its descendants will be like next year. The original article that describes exactly how they do it is published in Nature and I don't know a version of it that is free, but here is some reading material on it that I could find (including the abstract to the Nature article).
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v507/n7490/full/nature13087.html
http://time.com/10560/scientists-can-now-predict-the-flu/
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2013-2014.htm

All injected flu vaccines are made using killed virus, so it is not a danger to those with weak or developing immune systems. It will actually strengthen any immune system, which is why elders who naturally have waning defenses are recommended to get them. Your daughter's immune system also is not weaker because she has allergies. Allergies just mean your body attacks things that aren't actually dangerous, it doesn't mean the immune system overall is less effective. It seems reasonable to me to require children attending schools to get them. Schools create an environment where viruses can spread especially easily. So many children packed together for hours and hours every day not practicing particularly good hygiene and then going home to their families gives a virus the opportunity to spread all over a community in a relatively short time. Those it can spread to includes those who may not be able to fight off the virus very well which leads to deaths every year. Preventing the virus in as many people as possible means less spreading and less deaths.
 
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