I got the nose spray because I have an 11 week old baby. Not taking the chance. I'll take side effects.

So for a 6 year old, what is better, the nose spray or the injection? I would assume the injection, but everyone gets worked up over the thimerosal.

flumist can only be given to healthy people between 2 and 24 years of age ....or up to 49 years old if the person cares for, or lives with infants, ...or are healthcare personnel.

The advantages of flumist vs. the injection are ...No shot (good for scared children)...no thimerosal( for those afraid of the mercury)...and the major reason...it is more effective over a longer period of time and may confer some cross immunity to other related strains.

well, I got my vaccination today. Still walking straight and forward, although I'm not going to guarantee that Thanksgiving Day when i chow on turkey and guzzle red wine!

HitsRus wrote: flumist can only be given to healthy people between 2 and 24 years of age ....or up to 49 years old if the person cares for, or lives with infants, ...or are healthcare personnel.

The advantages of flumist vs. the injection are ...No shot (good for scared children)...no thimerosal( for those afraid of the mercury)...and the major reason...it is more effective over a longer period of time and may confer some cross immunity to other related strains.

Is there a downside to it being a live virus though?

Not for healthy individuals. The 'live' virus is a weakened form incapable of causing the disease, but to be cautious they only recommend it for those groups as listed above.

HitsRus wrote: ^^^Spot on. Unfortunately there are a lot of these people who tout themselves as 'natural' medicine experts.


"I will never nor will anyone in my family ever take another vaccine.
The Risks just far out weigh the benefit in my opinion "

I read this and it scares the bejeezus out of me. How has it come to such a point where we ignore legitimate science based medicine and put our trust in charlatans?

Charlatans,,,,,,are you talking about the millions of children that have austism,,,,who are you talking about. I take offense to this because my child has autism and I do believe his "needed shots" plus flu shots caused it, and my only proof is this, my child was a happy baby who was meeting all milestones like a normal child, then as six months we went in for his "needed shots", after hearing how may shots he was getting I went crazy on his quack doc but my wife who has a cooler head had me leave the room, what I didn't know was he also received a flu shot alone with all his "needed shots", next thing I know my child is in the hospital for a month and once he was out he wasn't able to do things a one month should be able to do. Didn't mean to rant on this but when people act like parents are crazy for being scared of shots for their children put yourself in the position of a parent with a child which has been affected my "needed shots", and flu shots.

^^^^^2trap,
Certainly very sorry to hear about the challenges you and your child have gone through...any parent knows how much we love and value our children.

Unfortunately, your anger is misplaced...I'm sure this lively debate will continue to rage across the internet for years to come, but the fact remains that there have been multiple studies conducted with the highest degree of scrutiny; all failing to show any direct correlation between routine childhood immunization and autism. Reasonable review of the subject would beg the question...?if there was a demonstrable correlation... then why among the millions and millions of children who are immunized yearly are the overwhelming and vast majority unassociated with any adverse sequelae whatsoever? We certainly don't see an autism rate to mirror the high rate of "successful" immunization in any way, shape, or form.

What we do know, however, is that modern medicine has insulated us from the realities of these childhood diseases. Polio: deadly and dire consequences on the generations of our parents and grandparents. Measles: recurring in clusters as immunizations are lapsing with surprising degrees of morbidity in previously healthy individuals. Rubella: the leading cause of birth defects in the era before vaccination. Influenza: caused historical numbers of deaths pre-vaccine worldwide in the first part of the 20th century.

The choice to not immunize is your luxury because the vast number of immunized individuals around you provide fortuitous insulation from these diseases...but sporadic outbreaks do and will occur, and occur more often, if immunization rates fall. I can guarantee you that the underdeveloped world clamors for vaccines as they watch their unimmunized children die of these "routine" childhood illnesses. I can guarantee you the mother who saw her sister paralyzed by polio, and who lived in fear of swimming in the summer, praised the polio vaccine that was offered to her son at school in 1957. I can further guarantee you that the doctor who offered your child vaccination had nothing but the best interest of your child and every child, including their own, that they immunize everyday.

Unfortunately, this quote probably says more about the subject than anything, and probably speaks for itself...

2trap_4ever wrote: ....after hearing how may shots he was getting I went crazy on his quack doc but my wife who has a cooler head had me leave the room...

killdeer you can state all the "studies" you want, I have watched first hand as a six month little boy who was as normal as any child get those shots and have his health and life flounder away. After those shots at six months he couldn't hold his head up. So as for those studies, they can be wrong, for every study that is done there is someone who can find fault in that study, the reason why most in the medical field want the studies to be true is the fear of the major lawsuits if it came out that the shots are the leading cause of autism in this country.

And what if they are coincidence. I understand it is a tough situation and you want to blame someone.

One of my co-workers and I discussed flu shots earlier this fall....she swore she would not get another flu shot because she always got sick in the fall after she got one. Short story...got no shot this year...she got sick anyway (pneumonia) missed 10 days of work. Meanwhile her 1st cousin is in the hospital with H1N1 fighting for her life...(can't clear the fluid from her lungs).
Needless to say, if she would have gotten the vaccination and got sick as usual she would have blamed the shot again. As soon as she was well enough...she went and got the vaccination.

Until someone can show a correlation, it is pure unproven speculation about vaccinations and autism. Coincidentally also...the increase in autism also mirrors the rise in imports from China, and the overall rise in the stock market since 1983.

" the reason why most in the medical field want the studies to be true is the fear of the major lawsuits if it came out that the shots are the leading cause of autism in this country."

You assume that the medical field is a single unified entity with it's own single purpose agenda...it is not. There are people who are continuing to study this issue as rightly they must.

hits r us is right on with everything he/she says. the problem that has been going on since antiquity, is people tend to put a cause and effect where none can be proven. centuries ago people would see a falling meteor in the sky, get sick that night, and ethe meteor caused the sickness. we today say thats absurd, but come to the same conclusions when two unrelated things happen at the same time (vaccination/autism e.g.). that's why medical studies are done to try to correlate findings. so far none has. true, there are satudies that "seem' to show one thing, but as further evidence comes in, turns out that may not be right. perhaps more evidence will show otherwise, but so far no link between those mentioned.

I've never gotten a regular flu shot, nor am I going to get the H1N1 shot. I don't see any reason to.