Hi- I know its early in the year, but for those of you that are cautious about vaccinating- is a flu shot something I should consider avoiding for my 3.5 yo ds(pdd-nos) and/or my 5 month old dd? Is the flu shot the only one that still has thimerosol, or do they make them w/o it now? What are the dangers, esp. for a newborn, if they get the flu- could it be fatal?
Ive been splitting up all of my dd's vaccines so she never gets more than one on the same visit.
Thanks!
Today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines that are currently being manufactured for the U.S. market, with the exception of influenza vaccine, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts. Thimerosal preservative-free influenza vaccines are available, but in limited quantities. The total amount of inactivated influenza vaccine available without thimerosal as a preservative will continue to increase as manufacturing capabilities are expanded.
Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
Yes, the majority of influenza
vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain
thimerosal as a preservative. However, some contain only
trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. Manufacturers
of preservative-free flu vaccine use thimerosal early in
the manufacturing process. The thimerosal gets diluted as
the vaccine goes through the steps in processing. By the
end of the manufacturing process there is not enough thimerosal
left in the vaccine to act as a preservative and the vaccine
is labeled ‘preservative-free'.
Children under 6 months old can also get very sick from the flu, but they are too young to get a flu vaccine.
The best way to protect young children is to make sure that their
household members and their caregivers are vaccinated.
- According to the CDC
Anyone know about the flu mist? Does this also have the same risks?
check the cdc website... My son (borderline PDD-NOS) had a bad reaction to the flu shot at 10 months. It lasted for a month afterwards and my husband and I sincerely believe it contributed to his developmental delays. We later learned he was allergic to eggs so he should not have gotten a flu shot nor has he had one since. I can honestly say that compared to his peers, almost all of whom get flu shots, he gets sick less often. His doc (who is generally very pro vax) assured me that the flu is almost never serious for healthy children. In fact, if you read the studies, there's no evidence that the flu shot actually works in young children. i have a 3 month old now, and he's not going to get any flu shots. IMO. the risks outweigh any benefit. If you do get one, make sure you ask for thimerosal free. Don't do a flu shot! My ds regressed after his - this was before we suspected him being on the spectrum. Although I don't think the shot CAUSED his autism - I think it made it worse...I really don't think flu shots are worth it. They don't seem to target the flu that is going around anyway. They always get the strain wrong and I can't notice
[QUOTE=Laurie]I really don't think flu shots are worth it. They don't seem to target the flu that is going around anyway. They always get the strain wrong and I can't notice [/QUOTE]
Couldn't agree with you more. I'm really tired of injecting my kids with every single vaccine someone thinks they need. They are up to date on all their vaccines at this point, and now I'm stopping. I just don't think it's worth it, and they absolutely hate having to go to the doctor only to get another shot.
in addition, it is not recommended that anychild receive a flu shot unless it is certain that they are not allergic to eggs. i dont imagine its known if your 5 mo old can tolerate eggs. i would strongly recommend that if anyone in the family has a food allergy that you wait until she is old enough to eat eggs (regardless of what foods other family members may be allergic to) to know if they are tolerated. if there were an allergy having a flu shot could relate in an anapylactic reaction that can lead to death. my doctor wouldnt even consider it for my son even before we knew he had pdd because he may have had a problem with milk. [QUOTE=snoopywoman]Don't do a flu shot! My ds regressed after his - this was before we suspected him being on the spectrum. Although I don't think the shot CAUSED his autism - I think it made it worse...[/QUOTE]