Flu Shot Time
It's early October and time to arrange for a flu shot, or a flu 'snort'. That's right, this year more places are providing a nasal-spray flu vaccine.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lots of information about influenza (flu). Because I've got two chronic diseases, diabetes and asthma, taking a flu shot is an easy way to reduce my risk of getting the flu. I actually got my shot yesterday at a local pharmacy, I like to get one as early in the flu season as I can. But if you've got school age children you need to think about getting vaccinatios for yourself and the CDC now recommends vaccinations for all children under 19.
For some of us, our employers may be organizing flu vaccinations at work. For the rest of us, you can trek to your doctors office or try one of your local pharmacies. Most pharmacy chains have a store finder page that includes a check box that allows you to search for stores that are offering flu shots or vaccinations, this includes CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid and Osco/Sav-on. In some cases you may have to make an appointment, call ahead and make sure.
So grab a book (so you don't mind waiting), head for the closest place, and take a small step to improve your changes for a healthier winter.
Labels: flu, health, prevention
posted by Bernard @ 6:46 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the reminder! My work always seems to do them really late in the year, so I tend to get mine at my local pharmacy. And I always make sure my husband gets one early too.
HOLD OFF on the recommendation of the Flu Vaccine for Everyone
Flu vaccine manufactures inserts state other wise double check the facts and your recommendation
A response to the New York Times Editorial on October 22, 2008
by Heather L. Maurer
Did you do your research? In your editorial on October 22, 2008, Flu Vaccines for Preschoolers, you state that New Jersey is right on track with mandatory flu vaccines for all preschoolers.
Let me give you some facts about the flu vaccine according to six flu vaccine’s manufactures inserts that I have researched. You state “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children from the ages of 6 months through 18 years be vaccinated annually against the flu.” However, have you read the warnings and use in specific populations section of the flu manufactures inserts?
The FDA’s website (www.fda.gov/CBER/flu/Flu2008.htm) release information about the 2008/2009 Season Lot release Status as of October 14, 2008 and that these vaccines are available for distribution. The specific flu vaccines they list (by trade name) are, Afluria, Fluarix, Flulaval, FluMist, Fluvirin and Fluzone.
FluMist which is commonly used for children because of its ease in administering warns, “Do not administer FluMist to children less than 24 months of age because of increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing observed in clinical trials. FluMist should not be administered to any individuals with asthma or children greater than five years of age with recurrent wheezing because of the potential for increased risk of wheezing post vaccination.”
Fluarix manufactures insert states, “is not indicated for use in children; should not be administered to anyone with known systemic hypersensitivity reactions to egg proteins, (eggs or egg products), to children proteins, or to anyone component of Fluarix or who has had a life-threatening reaction to previous administration of any influenza vaccine.” Are parents asking which vaccine their kids are getting? Do they know not to receive this one?
In addition, did you know that by receiving the flu vaccine you are placing yourself at risk for getting the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which causes among many systems, paralysis? Fluarix, states under the Warnings and Precautions, “If Guillain-Barre syndrome has occurred within six weeks of receipt of a prior influenza vaccine, the decision to give (specific vaccine name) should be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks. Immunocompromised compromised persons may have a reduced immune response to (specific flu vaccine name.)” What about all of those people who have autoimmune diseases including diabetes, MS, Barr Epstein, and Lupus to name a few, are they at an increased risk for negative symptoms and side effects?
You state in your editorial, “The vaccines are deemed safe and effective by federal health authorities. For parents who are still worried about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, there are flu vaccines that do not contain it.” Why don’t you help us out here and find out which ones don’t contain mercury and list them? Did you know that of the listed flu vaccines on the FDA’s website that are released into the population five of the six contain thimerosal including, Fluarix, Afluria, Fluzone, Flulaval, and Fluvirin. FluMist is the only one that doesn’t however it is not recommended for children under two years of age.
And yet the Public Health Service, FDA, NIH, CDC and HRSA issued the following statement, “As a precautionary measure, the Public Health Service (including the FDA, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics issued two Joint Statements, urging vaccine manufacturers to reduce or eliminate thimerosal in vaccines as soon as possible (CDC 1999) and (CDC 2000).” So why are these manufactures still using thimerosal, the mercury based preservative, in vaccines?
In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that “mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible pregnant women and children as well as the general population.”
Further more, Fluarix, Fluzone, Flulaval, FluMist, Fluarix and Afluria all have under the “Use in Specific Populations section” that the safety of these vaccines have not been established for pregnant women, and nursing mothers. “Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Fluarix. It is not known whether Fluarix can case fetal harm when administered to pregnant women or can affect reproduction capacity. Fluarix should be given to pregnant women only if clearly needed,” according to the manufactures insert.
And yet the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AGOG) recommend in early October 2008 that women, including those who are pregnant, get their annual influenza vaccine. Why any woman caring a child would put themselves at risk to receive this specific vaccine when the manufacture states they are not sure if it is safe! Is there a specific flu vaccine that is safe and the studies prove its safety? If so, they why are they not stating the trade name of this “safe” vaccine and let pregnant women know specifically which one to receive if they choose to do so.
Also, last year, it was reported that the flu vaccine was only 40% effective in those who received it. The odds weren’t exactly in the favor of those who received it. If the manufactures miss again, and choice the wrong strands of the flu virus, then it appears to me all we have done is put a boat load of money, again, into the pockets of one of the most lucrative industries out there, the pharmaceutical industry! And at what cost to our children, ourselves and our immune systems?
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