Laina is supposed to go in for her flu booster shot on Tuesday. She got the first one at her 6 month check up. Of course,
after getting the shot, I did some research into it and it turns out there are some flu shots that contain mercury (in thimerosal, a preservative) and some don't. We had to go back to the doctor because I was worried about some eye redness that Laina had, so while there I asked about their flu shots. The doctor explained very nicely that yes, theirs does contain thimerosal, but that it's perfectly safe, she gave it to her own kid, blah blah blah.
This deeply troubles me. Of course the more research I do the more troubled I become. I know, you have to take everything you read online with a grain of salt, but it really seems there could be some serious repercussions of injecting babies with mercury. One interesting thing is that vaccine manufacturers have mostly voluntarily stopped using thimerosal, and only one or two brands still put it in their flu shots. It sounds like most of the other vaccinations for other diseases don't have it either, but I need to do a bit more research to make certain. I am going to check out a few highly recommended books from the library.
There are other issues I'm discovering with the other vaccines, but I don't feel as well-read on those so that post will have to wait until another time. Also Jay and I have been interested in "epi-genetics" which he could elaborate on much more eloquently than I could. But in a nut-shell, some people may be pre-disposed to certain diseases, and the things we do or eat or get injected with may be triggers.
So, some random chunks of food for thought which I've been thinking a lot about (not all related to the flu shot, but all shots in general):
- Why do 99% of pediatricians recommend all vaccines and the timeline suggested by the American Association of Pediatricians, when there is mounting evidence (or at least suggestive studies) that this may not be in the best interest of the child, and may have serious side effects.
- Why is is so hard to find a pediatrician who will work with the parents on possibly not getting some shots and delaying others? They look at you like you're crazy if you even bring it up.
- Don't most pediatricians have their own children, and wouldn't they be reading up on this info as much as possible? Are they just so ingrained with whatever they were taught in medical school, which may well be outdated? Or is all this "alternative" info really just junk, internet fodder, for hungry conspiracy theorists?
- Is there some sort of conspiracy between drug manufacturers and the FDA? My brother was really trying to convince me of this a few years ago and I pretty much laughed in his face, but now I'm starting to see his point...
- Why have most (but not all) drug manufacturers voluntarily removed thimerosal from their vaccines? My guess - they know something's wrong with it. Yet why hasn't the FDA mandated that it be removed? And why, oh why, does my pediatrician's office have to use the one with thimerosal, when there are others without it?
- I have decided NOT to get Laina's booster flu shot. I have to call the office today and let them know. I am not looking forward to that call.
- What to do about the rest of her vaccinations? The stuff I'm reading is pretty scary, possibly linking vaccinations to autism, Alzheimer's, and other auto-immune disorders. It sounds like there are reasonable ideas out there on delaying shots and spreading them out over more visits, instead of inundating kids with so many shots at one time (to give the body time to "recover" from each one individually). How do I bring this up to my pediatrician, and what do I do if they won't be flexible?
- Some veterinarians are even starting to re-think the numerous vaccinations our animals get. When I worked for Healthy Pet magazine I remember having articles about this very thing - inundating pets with so many vaccines and how it might be harmful. My friend's horse vet doesn't give too many shots at one time because there might be harmful side effects. Why are the doctors of our animals more concerned about this than the doctors of our children?
- Why did I even get myself into this? It would be so much easier to just be ignorant and mindlessly do what the "people who know best" say we should do.
- I'm not saying that vaccines are horrible or that I don't want Laina to get them. I just want to know that they're safe and do everything possible to ensure that the manner in which she gets them is safe.
