Flu Vaccine Made Me Sick!

Ok. No. No it did not. That's not how the flu vaccine works. You can't get sick from the dead virus. You can have some discomfort and such, but it did not give you the sinus infection or whatever you think it gave you. I have just seen too many folks on my facebook and twitter feeds talking about how their flu shot MADE them sick. They report it on the news as though these subjective stories are fact. Unless you have the flu strain that they shot into you, you definitely didn't get it from the flu shot.

There is loads of scientific research that backs me up in my assertion. There is zero credible evidence that supports your "flu vaccine made me sick" argument. Sure, you might get a fever or something, but that means the vaccine is actually working. Your immune system is pumping up to learn about the new buggies your doctor injected. Isn't that cool? I can answer that for you. It definitely is.

I understand that some people have a harder time with vaccines. Some people have allergies. The allergy folks get a pass from me, actually. Don't get a flu shot if you are allergic to its components. Otherwise, even if you get a mild reaction, get a flu shot. You'll protect yourself and those around you. While you're at it, throw in a Dtap if you haven't had one recently. Especially if you know/love/are around children or the immune compromised. Whooping cough is no joke and the numbers are on the rise.

Anyway, back to the flu vaccine. Where do you get the flu vaccine? Doctor's offices. Where do sick people go to get medicine? Doctor's offices. Not a coincidence.

Vaccine Infographic

I think the above portion (click to enlarge) of the infographic found here is rather telling. Parents who vaccinate feel that parents who don't are depending on them for the health of their child. Nonvaccinators also don't see the risks in not vaccinating their kids, which is frightening to me, especially given the rise in preventable death from things like whooping cough, measles, etc. I get vaccines even though they are totally useless for me. Vaccines are safe and are definitely safer than measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough, tetanus, etc. If you can't fathom that a healthy child is more important than you having control, perhaps you should seek therapy.... after getting your child immunized. And yes, I judge you for not getting your child vaccinated.

Whooping Cough Vaccination

Sorry for the hiatus from posting. I took a little vacation.... but worry not! Back to business as usual.

The Virginia Department of Health is urging parents to have their children receive the Tdap vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (aka whooping cough) in no small part because there has been a 217% increase in whooping cough cases in Virginia in the first 6 months of this year. (article
here) Whooping cough is scary, especially since it is so communicable. So next time you're due for your tetanus vaccine, ask specifically for tdap. It could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Read a little more about pertussis and get vaccinated!

Autism and Vaccines

Autism is a sad disease and I can understand why parents want answers. What I don't understand is why, despite REPEATED scientific studies, people still believe there is some connection between autism and vaccines.

First of all, most of the claims are made surrounding mercury in vaccines. Guess what? There isn't mercury in childhood vaccines now. According to the CDC "Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines."(link)

So how, may I ask, could this nonexistent mercury cause elevated hormone levels requiring the prostate cancer drug lupron, as the recently-indicted doctor in this article suggests for his patients?

That's right. It can't. Get real. You should vaccinate your children because it protects them (and people like me) from things like measles. Let's use the hypothetical situation and say mercury in vaccines DOES cause autism (even though we already established it doesn't). What happens if you don't vaccinate? Your child could very well die of measles. Cases of deadly childhood diseases, like measles, are on the rise across the country. I'd rather have a living child with autism than one who died of measles.

But it isn't necessarily these healthy children from healthy parents that suffer the most. Children with issues like Primary Immune Deficiencies and cancers like leukemia can't fight of these germs at all. They also receive little to no benefit from vaccines. Not only do you endanger your child by not vaccinating, you also endanger me and very vulnerable kids that come into contact with your child.