i just have to do it

Here it is, a post about the flu vaccine. With the recent story about Desiree Jennings, I can't hold back anymore. There is widespread panic about the swine flu and upcoming flu season and I'm sure the drug companies are loving it. They get to make more vaccines, which equals more money for them. Add the drug company lobbyists that help put a spin on things just enough for politicians and the media to grab hold and run with it. This is why your average American is in a panic about the swine flu and flu, and then running out to get their vaccines. Well not me and not my kids.

In 1999 the FDA reviewed the use of thimerosal in childhood vaccines and found no evidence of harm, but as a precautionary measure, recommended removing thimerosal from vaccines routinely given to children. Thimerosal was removed from all pediatric vaccines in 2001 with the exception of the flu shot. There is a single-dose, thimerosal-free vaccine available but it is in short supply and not typically advertised. You have to ask for it. Do you know why? Well, I'm going to tell you...because it's more expensive. It costs less money to use Thimerosal as a preservative, enabling physicians to give the flu shot from multi-dose vials rather than a single-dose vial.

Most people will say that the chance of something happening because of the flu shot is rare, a one-in-a-million chance. Desiree, the woman in the video, stated that she would not have had the shot if she knew the risks. That is just sad. She should have known the risks, as rare as they might be. I do my research...on pretty much everything. On this subject, I've read the CDC report and the FDA report. I've read the position statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and I've read documents written by the anti-vaccine movement. I am responsible for myself, for the choices I make. I am also responsible for my kids so it's even more important to me that I make decisions based on information, not on blind faith and trust. Be an active participant in your own care and your children's care. Do some research. Read. Seek. Find. And then make the decision that is best for you. But please, just make it an informed decision.