Each year, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend an influenza vaccine of a particular strain of flu. According to the CDC, “Viruses in the vaccine change each year based on international surveillance and scientists’ estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year.” 1
In other words, the government recommends all Americans to get a yearly shot formulated on a scientific guess.
When the guess turns out to be wrong and other flu viruses spread, like in 2009 with the H1N1 epidemic, an additional vaccine is created and administered.
The new popularity of flu vaccines
Flu vaccines used to be recommended only for the elderly. Then, children and pregnant women were added to the high-risk category, along with healthcare workers and anyone with chronic health conditions. But in 2010, the CDC began recommending that everyone in the U.S. needed the vaccine. 2 The decision was announced because of the CDC’s speculation that H1N1 would rear its ugly head again in 2010. 3 It never did.
CDC surveys show that a majority of Americans refrain from the vaccines. In 2009 – in the height of the H1N1 fright – only a third of Americans got a flu vaccine. 4
How are flu vaccines produced?
Currently, flu vaccines are produced in chicken eggs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was concerned about a limited number of doses produced in the eggs, as well as trouble caused by a potential avian flu pandemic. So, in 2005 the department paid Sanofi-Pasteur more than ninety-seven million dollars to develop a cell-based influenza vaccine technology. The benefits to the changed vaccine is that the products could be frozen indefinitely – currently, the egg method is perishable – and people who are allergic to eggs could receive the vaccine. 5
What’s the difference in the types of flu vaccines?
Flu vaccinations currently are offered in two forms:
- Flu shots, an inactivated vaccine with a killed influenza virus. Side effects include aches, fever, soreness, and redness and swelling at the shot site. Some of the shots include thimerosal, a derivative of mercury, but others do not.
- Nasal spray, a live attenuated influenza vaccine. This nasal spray is thimerosal-free, but it contains a live flu virus. Once someone receives the nasal spray, the live strain of flu can be transmitted to others. 6 The spray is only given to people ages two to forty-nine – not high-risk groups like the young, old, or pregnant women. Side effects include cough, headache, runny nose, and sore throats. Additionally, children can develop a fever, muscle aches, vomiting, and wheezing. 7
Surprisingly, there is no official proof that influenza shots are dangerous. Online, you can find hundreds of websites that are filled with conspiracy theories, linking the shots to Alzheimer’s disease or Guillian-Barre Syndrome. But there’s no scientific proof.
On the contrary, a U.S. government study showed that over the past twenty years, pregnant women receiving a flu vaccine have not reported unusual complications. Only 175 possible complications were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). On average, out of every one million pregnant women receiving the flu vaccine, only twelve reported complications and two reported miscarriages. Still, only twenty-five percent of pregnant women get the vaccine. 9
What should you do?
With only a quarter of pregnant women and a third of the American population getting the flu vaccine, I have to believe there is a lot of doubt about the vaccine’s necessity and safety.
No matter what government studies may say, it’s important to go with your gut feeling. If you don’t feel comfortable with the idea of getting the flu shot – or letting your kids get it – then don’t.
As a mother who refuses the flu shot each year, I have received a lot of medical opposition – especially when I was nine months pregnant in the middle of H1N1 mania. But I stood my ground, prayed for God’s will to be done, limited my exposure to others, and tried to stay as healthy as possible. Since the flu vaccine isn’t mandatory, everyone has that same option.
Talk back
Some families love flu shots. Other families hate them. What has been your experience?
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I was in the early stages of pregnancy during the season of H1N1 and was told by my OB office that I should have the flu shot, but I declined, because it is my decision. In my experience, I have only ever had the shot twice, and both of those years I had terrible bouts of the flu. My oldest son is allergic to eggs, so we will not give him the flu shot, and have decided that none of us will. Even with a preemie in the house last year, we were all fine, and felt we made the right decision for us.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Andrea! It’s important to note that, like you, I haven’t had the flu either. And no one in my family has had the flu … we never get the flu shot. (We get just a couple colds each year.)
I can relate. My two boys have severe food allergies, including egg, so they can’t get the flu vaccine. However, that means that the rest of us in the family HAVE to get it, to protect them as much as possible, and I beg others around us (in school, church, etc.) to do the same (it’s called herd immunity–please read more about this!). My boys also have asthma, so it’d be dangerous for them to get the flu due to possible complications. When there is a shortage of the vaccine, we fall into the “high risk” category and are allowed to get it. Yes, there’s no guarantee that the shot will protect against this year’s strain, but I’d rather protect our family as much as possible. I just can’t take that chance. I feel like God has given vaccines to us to help us better handle their health issues.
There’s no way to prove that you didn’t get the flu because you had the shot, or vice versa. Honestly, there have been years where one of us never got around to it, and we didn’t get sick. But that doesn’t mean we will always be fine without them.
So, please, I’m begging you and everyone who reads this to get the flu vaccine! Even if spending a week violently sick and bedridden doesn’t worry you, by immunizing yourself you vastly lessen the chances you will spread the virus to some child or older person (family member, friend, or stranger) who might die from it.
Here’s some good info about it:
http://patients.about.com/od/patientempowermentissues/a/whoflushot.htm
My family gets the flu vaccine because my husband manages a restaurant. Outside of a hospital it’s one of the worst places for picking up viruses and germs in general (amazing how people think eating out is a right and don’t consider the consequences of dining in a restaurant while sick). Knowing that our boys have a higher chance of catching the flu than they would if they were in preschool 5 days a week we try and take every precaution we can, and for us that includes the flu vax.
My mom also has a compromised immune system, so we really try and take that into consideration as well.
I never got a flu shot until 2 years ago and only had the flu once, 8 years ago (in college and I credit that to dorm living.)
So, while I’m not really worried about the boys catching it per se, I feel like it would be irresponsible for me to NOT get them vaccinated because of our particular circumstances.
I have never had a flu shot but I often have to fly during cold & flu season because of my job. For years I have used Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic product, each time I fly (or once per round-trip if my flights are only a couple days apart) as preventive medicine. It might just be coincidence, but the last flu I had was in 2005. I haven’t had a cold in about 3 years, either! I think that’s a pretty good track record for spending time in airports and on planes during cold & flu season.
Thanks so much for sharing about Oscillococcinum, Denise! I’d say it’s really effective … you definitely should know with all of your traveling! :)