Flu Vaccine, enough already!

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Yes, we are in flu season. And it seems you can't go anywhere without being bombarded/enticed to get the flu vaccine. A lot of times scare tactics are used also. They tried making it mandatory for nurses last season but that failed, thank goodness. Then a friend went to a job interview, and a condition of employment was that she had to get the flu vaccine even though she did not want it.

Yet recently, a healthcare employer (I have declined to identify) went as far as to offer employees who get the flu vaccine (at work), entry into a raffle for a hot electronic gadget. I just think its too much. People already know about the flu vaccine and have made an educated decision about whether they want it or not. Flu vaccines have become extremely commercialized, which leads me to conclude that a financial windfall is being made somewhere. Just sayin...

Also, having read through some of CDC info on flu vaccine, I would also weigh in on the severity of the allergy reaction to any component of the vaccine and if I would need to visit an allergy specialist.

I agree, and I do further assess the severity and whether it is a true allergy. I sometimes mention desensitization as an option to discuss with their doc. I refer them to their PCP primarily b/c I want to be careful to stay within my scope of practice. We don't always have an M.D. availaible to make the judgment call; I work in the public health setting.

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I sometimes mention desensitization as an option to discuss with their doc.

Which would be at whose cost?

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I simultaneously write them a blank check & tell them "It's on me!" :)

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I truly believe the flu vaccine is bogus and not only that but dangerous. The adjuvents added to recent vaccines like squalene are unnecessary. They send your immune system into overddrive. I have spent a lot of time reading the fine print on recent vaccines and I dont want any thankyou. Had a flu vaccine in 2003 and got deathly ill, could not walk for 5 days. No vaccine since and never had flu again. They asked Dr Oz last year on tv if his kids were getting the flu vaccine and he said NO. Since then he has changed his tune because he was forced to by media. They even admitted that this last round of vaccine was practically useless. They have a lot of uselss vaccine and no where to peddle it, so they have to scare you or force you to take it. What unbelievable crap.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
I simultaneously write them a blank check & tell them "It's on me!" :)

LOL! Best comment on this whole thread.

You would think the vaccine was the black plague. I have taken it for 20 years and been just fine. 21 years ago I missed and had the flu and it was awful.

That said, if people don't want to take then I don't think it is worth forcing them too. We cannot protect everyone (patients, staff, joe blow) from everything.

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Is this another inflammatory post by a hit and run anti-vaccer?

I truly believe the flu vaccine is bogus and not only that but dangerous. The adjuvents added to recent vaccines like squalene are unnecessary. They send your immune system into overddrive. I have spent a lot of time reading the fine print on recent vaccines and I dont want any thankyou. Had a flu vaccine in 2003 and got deathly ill, could not walk for 5 days. No vaccine since and never had flu again. They asked Dr Oz last year on tv if his kids were getting the flu vaccine and he said NO. Since then he has changed his tune because he was forced to by media. They even admitted that this last round of vaccine was practically useless. They have a lot of uselss vaccine and no where to peddle it, so they have to scare you or force you to take it. What unbelievable crap.

I am astounded at the unbelievable crap that trained professions believe from TV and internet personalities, e.g. Dr. Oz and Dr. Mercola.

For an actual science-based critique of Dr. Mercola comments about squalene, see this link at:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/a-defense-of-childhood-influenza-vaccination-and-squalene-containing-adjuvants-joseph-mercolas-dirty-little-secret/

As for squalene - No, it is not, and has not been, a component of influenza vaccines in the USA. But where it has been used it was found to have no adverse effect on people vaccinated with it.

For example, MF-59, a special formulation of squalene by Novartis, is used as a vaccine adjuvant in Europe. From a recent article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology -

"Our study of more than 4500 pregnant women is the largest comparative safety study of an MF59-adjuvanted vaccine in pregnancy and one of the largest studies with prospective follow-up of pregnant women for any vaccine.

We did not find any adverse effect of the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 vaccine on the ongoing pregnancy or on the health of the mother or the newborns. The rates of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, abortions, stillbirth, low birthweight, prematurity, neonatal deaths, and congenital malformations among the more than 2000 vaccinated women and their offspring showed no increase compared with those in unvaccinated controls."

Full research article here: http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(12)00744-2/fulltext

Expipe also stated "I have spent a lot of time reading the fine print on recent vaccines and I don't want any thank you." Below I have posted links to the package inserts for all USA influenza vaccines for the 2012-2013 season. Perhaps expipe would be willing to explain to us what "bad" ingredients are included in this year's vaccines.

Package Insert - AFLURIA (PDF - 230KB)

Package Insert - Agriflu (PDF - 117KB)

Package Insert - FluLaval (PDF - 149KB)

Package Insert - Fluvirin (PDF - 235KB)

Package Insert - FluMist (PDF - 536KB)

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I truly believe the flu vaccine is bogus and not only that but dangerous. The adjuvents added to recent vaccines like squalene are unnecessary. They send your immune system into overddrive. I have spent a lot of time reading the fine print on recent vaccines and I dont want any thankyou. Had a flu vaccine in 2003 and got deathly ill, could not walk for 5 days. No vaccine since and never had flu again. They asked Dr Oz last year on tv if his kids were getting the flu vaccine and he said NO. Since then he has changed his tune because he was forced to by media. They even admitted that this last round of vaccine was practically useless. They have a lot of uselss vaccine and no where to peddle it, so they have to scare you or force you to take it. What unbelievable crap.

I really wonder what expipe would do if expipe was responsible for the care of children or those who can not represent themselves.

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I received my flu vaccine today; 1 hour post-administration, all vital signs are WNL & no signs of cognitive impairment or impending death. By the way, the intradermal is great - it's only 0.1ml, and it's painless!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I really wonder what expipe would do if expipe was responsible for the care of children or those who can not represent themselves.

I am responsible for a 14 month old awesome little girl. I have gotten all her regularly scheduled vaccines, but I am not a believer of the flu vaccine. Her father also does not want her to get the influenza vaccine. I dont think the amount of studies done on these vaccines are very meaningful. I mean, thalidomide was the drug of choice for 4 years for morning sickness, before they finally realized it was causing problems. Compared to immunizations that they work on for a few months before putting them on the market... I know this might not be the best example, but the point I am trying to make is that sometimes it takes years of a medication to be on the market before they realize the negative effects it has on a population...

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I mean, thalidomide was the drug of choice for 4 years for morning sickness, before they finally realized it was causing problems. Compared to immunizations that they work on for a few months before putting them on the market... I know this might not be the best example, but the point I am trying to make is that sometimes it takes years of a medication to be on the market before they realize the negative effects it has on a population...

Most vaccines are in pre-licensing phase for at least a decade b/f they hit the market. They’ve been using the same trivalent vaccine in the U.S. since the 1980s, monitoring the vaccine’s safety for 3 decades. The vaccine virus strains may change seasonally, but it’s generally that same seasonal vaccine composition approved for use since I was in diapers. The overall safety of flu vaccines have been studied for ½ a century.

CDC - Vaccine History - Vaccine Safety

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