Flu vaccine?

Question

Should i get my 1 year old this shot? Is it safe? What are your opinions on this subject?

Answer 1

Ordinarily, my answer is: vaccines are necessary, safe and save lives.

The flu shot is an exception.
(Chicken pox is the other, in case you were wondering)

Why?
What the flu does best is mutate. There are, quite literally, BILLIONS of flu "germs" in the world, and as soon as you catch and recover from one (thus, gaining immunity), it can mutate and you can get it again.
So, how do scientists get the vaccine for billions of "germs" into 1 tiny little vaccine?
THEY DON'T!!!
They take an educated guess as to which are most likely to be in your region at any given time and pick 3 (YES, THREE!!!) that you MIGHT catch.
Basically, it's like playing Russian Roulette. That's why you hear about people getting the flu with the shot. They simply got one of the BILLIONS that weren't accounted for in your vaccine.

So, my vote is skip it.

Cancer patients, AIDS sufferers, bone marrow recipients, preemie babies, and a few others should consider it, but I really think it's a waste of time and money.

In case you were wondering my "beef" with the Chicken Pox vaccine, I just feel that in this case the end DOES NOT justify the means.
Meaning:
There are something like 5000 babies born in USA every single DAY!!!
Figure 365 days a year and you have heck of a lot of kids!
Only about 600 of them will have problems/die of complications from Chicken Pox. (I know every life is precious, but it's silly to put MANY other kids in danger for such a very small minority)
Compared to MANY more that may suffer problems from the vaccine itself.
AND!!!
Chicken Pox can be deadly for adults. No one is certain when the vaccine will wear off, so you will have a population of adults who are vulnerable to a potentially fatal disease that they should have breezed through as children.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Kids have survived chicken pox just fine for centuries, leave well enough alone.

Sorry it's so long.
Good luck to you and your kid.

Answer 2

I believe it is safe. My 15 month old daughter just had one, and my son, now 3, has had them the past two years. It has been no different than any other shot.

The flu mutates enough that the shot is no guarantee you won't get it, unlike measles... but I get so worried when my kids are sick that I need to know I've done everything I could to prevent it. The shot is effective against 3 types of flu and I'll take any relief I can get.

Answer 3

The shot it safe. Flu can make children and the elderly very sick and can possibly be fatal to them. My 2.5 year old just had hers last week and my son will have his when he is 6months old in December. Ive had the flu twice in my life, i thought i was going to die both times i felt so horrible. If it makes me, a generally very healthy person feel that bad, imagine how bad it makes a baby feel. Get them the shot, no need for them to get sick if you can prevent it!

Answer 4

O.k. You defiantly should get her this shot because it protects her from this very serious virus that effect children the most I know that you might think that it will get her sick. The side effects of the shot will only show themselves between 12 and 24 hours of having been given the shot. and it will only be flu like syn toms she might be a little sore and cranky. In children the flu can develop into pneumonia and can even kill them. So I say definitely.

Answer 5

i personally don't get my kids that shot because i think its more important to let your body build up antibodies to illnesses. There are always risks involved when you get any shot even the flu shot. The flu shot doesn't prevent you from getting the flu it only reduces your chances of getting it but if your gonna get it, your gonna get it and no shot is gonna work. Eating healthy also plays an important role in our immune systems.

Answer 6

It's a very good idea. The shot does not contain a live virus, so you can't get the flu from it. It's especially important for young children, because they cannot fight infection as well as adults.

Answer 7

It's fine. I get it for my son every year, since the flu tends to be really bad here. Also, our state only has preservative - free vaccines, so we don't have to worry about mercury or anything else. If we did, it might be another story.