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Annual flu vaccinations for all kids?
Filed under: Teens, Places To Go, Health & Safety: Babies, In The News, Alcohol & Drugs
The Center for Disease Control may make the recommendation that children be vaccinated against the flu, every year, up to the age of eighteen. Currently, the recommendation is only for kids from six months to five years old, but the new guidelines would expand that range to include all school aged children.So far, twenty-two children have died from the flu, even though this has been a rather average year. In 2003-2004, more than 150 children died, spurring the CDC to keep a closer eye on flu deaths among children and to consider the changed recommendation. "This has been under consideration for a long time," said CDC spokesman Curtis Allen. "I don't think there are any groups opposed to it, except for the folks concerned about thimerosal."
There are a lot of people who still blame thimerosal for the rise in autism in recent years, even though the preservative was removed from children's vaccines years ago and autism rates continued to increase.
The reason for this decision is a large number of studies that indicate that controlling the flu among kids is the key to controlling it in the adult population. "Kids are the vectors. They bring it home from school and give it to their parents. If you can stop it at school, you stop it at home and break the cycle," said Dr. Frank Malinoski. Malinoski is a Senior Vice President of MedImmune, a company that makes a flu vaccine designed for children. Although MedImmune stands to benefit from new recommendation, so too, I think, do we all. What do you think?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-27-2008 @ 11:43AM
mamacheryl said...I think you started another flame war, Roger. :) Unavoidable with topics like this. One of the biggest arguments against this deals with what is happening this year... when the flu vaccine that was passed out before the season struck ended up not being worth much because the current virus has mutated.
Personally, I'll take any vaccination I'm offered. I'm a lemming that way. My son has asthma, and anything I can do to keep illness out of our house is worth it. For the record, I was vaccinated this year, and I haven't gotten sick yet.
Cheryl
http://redpens-diapers.blogspot.com
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2-27-2008 @ 12:39PM
Cynthia said...I'd personally prefer my child not be injected with anything containing thimerosol and the flu vaccines where I live have no other option. Whether they have found evidence of a connection with autism isn't the issue - thimerosol is mercury and I don't think injecting mercury into a growing body is the best idea.
I'm a SAHM, and my husband and I have both been vaccinated - we're more likely to be infected and bring it home to her than vice versa.
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2-27-2008 @ 12:52PM
Cathy said...No flu shots for us. I'm not opposed to vaccines. I just don't see flu shots or flu mist working for the people who do get them. The also get the flu every year. I think I'd rather avoid medications for the small stuff and not be immune when the big stuff rolls around.
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2-27-2008 @ 12:53PM
Cathy said...I meant immune to the medications. Sorry to be unclear.
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2-27-2008 @ 2:07PM
Marcia said...My pediatrician said it was totally optional and I choose to not have my daughter get it. My grandma gets the shot every year and every year she gets really sick within a few weeks after. It may be building immunity towards whatever strain, but in my opinion, it is weakening the immune system just briefly enough for something else to slip in.
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2-27-2008 @ 2:16PM
~Monica said...We don't fear the flu. It's not a big deal for us. I do understand why for others it is a big deal and take no issue with their wish to vaccinate.
For those of us without compromised immune systems, unnecessary vaccines with mystery ingredients (yes, not even doctors and nurses know the EXACT ingredients as the government protects these 'proprietary secrets' for the manufacturing companies) *are* a big deal. Who knows what you're being injected with.
The USA is way too one-size-fits-all drug/vaccine/pharmaceutical happy - taking a blind eye to how not every human is created equal biologically & neurologically.
Thank God I live in a Canadian community that supports and has many options for avoiding the mass 'sheep herding' of the pharma companies. There are way more effective and natural ways of building a strong functioning immune system. Vaccines compromise the body in so many other unknown ways - it's not all about Autism, Roger. Open your mind.
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2-27-2008 @ 2:39PM
SKL said...No thanks. As long as it is only a recommendation, I won't complain too loudly, but my kids' pediatrician is really pushing me to get "recommended" stuff that I don't want, and it feels more like force to me. (He actually told me my kids could DIE of chicken pox if I don't get the vaccine RIGHT NOW TODAY. Please.) Also, somehow, things seem to quietly sneak from the "recommended" list to the "required for school enrollment" list where I then end up having to take a stand. Like chicken pox - I just found out that it's currently "required" in my state, and they will administer it to my kids over my dead body. (Luckily my state does not require me to lie about my religion to opt out, though.)
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2-27-2008 @ 5:39PM
rachel said...No, thank you. Recommended or not, my children will not be getting flu vaccines. My husband and I both have adverse reactions to the vaccine, with him getting sick (fever, chills, occasional vomiting) for 2 weeks, and I choose not to put my children through that- especially since none of us have ever had the flu.
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2-27-2008 @ 9:57PM
Kevin said...http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0850501820080208?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&sp=true
The Flu Vaccine is a not science - it's a crap shoot.
And mamacheryl, if your son has asthma - you are just perpetuating his asthma by giving him the flu shot. Asthma is triggered by chemical additives. Also, vaccines produce copious amounts of Th 1 cells in the immune system - these cells produce inflammation - which I'd think you'd agree - you don't want your son to experience!
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