Posted on 02/28/2008 4:32:58 AM PST by metmom
ATLANTA — All children — not just those under 5 — should get vaccinated against the flu, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday. The panel voted to expand annual flu shots to virtually all children except infants younger than 6 months and those with serious egg allergies.
That means about 30 million more children could be getting vaccinated. If heeded, it would be one of the largest expansions in flu vaccination coverage in U.S. history. The flu vaccine has been available since the 1940s.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said all children should start getting vaccinated as soon as possible, acknowledging that many doctors have already ordered their vaccine for the 2008-2009 season and may not be able to give the shots until 2009-2010. The flu season generally starts in the fall and continues through spring.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Look out for more nanny state decisions. It was advised, then urged. Pretty soon will be required.
They must know something coming down the pike because, this years flu was much harder on adults than children.
I went to a wake last night for a relative of a friend who died from complications of the flu. She was in her mid-40’s. It’s not something to mess around with.
But children who stay home sick from school cause parents to stay home, so reducing the illness in this group should cut down days of lost work, some experts said.
Can't have any of that lost wages stuff now, can we. Imagine that, putting your child ahead of money.
Funny they’d do it this year when we know that the flu vaccine was really “off” this year, in terms of preventing the flu. I think the number I read was that it was 40% effective.
I guess they must have a flu vaccine w/out thimerisol if they’re recommending it for kids.
I’d love to be able to compare the numbers on the year we ran out of flu vaccine and regular years when there’s plenty to go around. Were there more flu cases the year we ran out, or did it have little effect on the actual number of cases?
I wont take flu shots...
...they get me sick...
All the news stories I have seen on his year’s flu have said that the flu shot was completely ineffective against this year’s strain. Yet, they are still telling people to go out and get it.
I’m sorry, but all that tells me is that they have a bunch of doses still on hand, and they need to recoup their money.
I know a doctor who told me she was not getting the vaccine because it contained mercury.
Of course the vaccine did nothing to stop one of the strains that was going around my city.
And just a few years ago people were told there was a vaccine shortage.
But by all means let’s force this on everyone.
I’m not opposed to flu shots being available at all, or even recommended. What I see coming is as their recommendations become broader that instead of *urged* it becomes mandatory.
It’s unfortunate that someone’s life should be cut short like that, but the government can’t guarantee a long, prosperous, pain-free life and I’m not interested in being regulated in a vain attempt to do so. Laws cannot prevent bad things from happening.
The other concern which may be far-fetched, is that should there ever be something that interrupts the vaccine supply for a couple years for whatever disease, that there would be serious repercussions with people’s health. Vaccines for things like childhood diseases do not confer permanent immunity. If there was an outbreak of something like that, I could see a great many adults be in danger because their vaccines are no longer effective. Same for the flu shot. It provides temporary immunity to certain strains, but it that strain should make a reappearance down the road, those people who got the shot will not be immune.
BTW, I get a flu shot every year and have never got the flu from it. Until I started, I had several winters in a row where I was sick almost constantly. These shots really seem to have helped for me. I hope I don’t pay the price down the road, now that I think about it.
As to comparing numbers of those who do or do not catch the flue between groups that have had flu shots and those who have not, it’s been done by the US ARMY.
In the 70’s when I was in the US ARMY we all were ordered to take the swine flu shot. Secret at the time was that select units were actually given an inert vaccine substitute. The difference in subsequent sick call rates between units that had the real vaccine and those receiving the placebo was zero.
The military has required me to get flu shots every year...as best as I can tell, I can get the flu every 5 years and be miserable for 10 days, or get shots every year and be miserable for 2 days/year.
The explanation from an interview was that people under 18 are the group most responsible for spreading flu. Makes sense. It’s just that they have an awfully hard time getting the vaccine right. There’s always some strain that is unaccouted for in the vaccine.
Why don’t you get a link for us about mercury in flu vaccine? Then it won’t be a matter of just your say-so.
No, the drug companies need to unload their excess. Follow the money, it's always the money.
I guess it depends on how long at a time you feel like being miserable.
It was a doctor who told me, Clara Lou. I am certain you have the ability to independently verify it for yourself.
Drug companies don’t care:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080228/ap_on_he_me/merck_vaccine;_ylt=Aupx5_jy80WfnU_DK7_Lb5wDW7oF
Mom Ping!!!!!!!!
Flu shot manufacturing companies wallets are a bit lighter this morning, and those on the panel’s are much heavier.
Four diseases at a time is just too much for a child immune system to handle. You don’t get sick with all four at once in real life.
Docs all over the country are telling folks who got their flu shots and still have the flu, that the flu viruses that was "presumed" to have happened, we NOT the one that has come this year!
So much for flu shots for anyone.
This is nonsense and CDC needs to quit attempting to mandate anything.
Not necessarily true. Both my wife and I got the "mini flu". It was seen a lot with people who were vaccinated. You are down for about 12 hours and then it is over. At my wife's school, almost all the kids(unvaccinated) got the flu but the teachers (vaccinated) did not.
I don't have the stats, but the year that we couldn't get the vaccine, I got the flu at the end of April and I never want to repeat that experience.
I read a news report that said that the people being treated in emergency rooms for the flu this year were not vaccinated. Those who were vaccinated did not require ER treatment, despite the vaccine not being a match.
My allergist is also an immunologist. He told me that the flu vaccines can help lessen the severity of other colds and flus. There’s enough similarities between the viruses that the shots can help some with other strains even though they don’t prevent them.
It's on the lower left of the page. On;y 13 votes have been cast, but the majority say it is an intrusion.
Haven’t you dismantled the CDC yet? Get bizzy, LOL!
Man, I’m so glad I’m beyond this stage with my kids. I really feel for parents these days. So much to research before you make any move, it seems. :(
Its my understanding that the present set of flu vaccines are not very effective against this year’s flu strain. Heard it on the radio this morning.
LOL!
In the same morning paper I cite in post 30 is a front page article about how the local University students are being hit hard with the flu this year.
Interesting.
Well, that tends to happen when you live like cattle, LOL! Remember how rampant Mono used to be in those same situations?
One of our cashiers was telling me the other day that she didn’t feel good because that morning she had gotten her last round of shots that will supposedly ward off cervical cancer in her future. Her family lives on assistance, so I wonder if this is something that’s mandated for those receiving medical assistance from the state (Badger Care) and if the powers that be are using these low-income girls as guinea pigs?
I had to walk away. It wasn’t worth explaining the intricacies of what’s REALLY going on here to a rather clueless and very sexually active 18 year old. Besides, her cellphone was ringing, and that takes priority over any rational discourse, you know? ;)
I can’t save ‘em all; only my own. :(
This was 20+ years ago and not many people took the flu shots. I saw on the news yesterday that they are recommending that school age children get the flu shot so that adult flu cases (and flu deaths) would decrease. I understand exactly how that would work.
I am sitting here with a mask on and only feeling better enough to check my computer 4 days later because of Tamiflu. Tamiflu really helped this not be as bad as it could be.
But, the flu 1st 24 hours was scary for this 56 year old. The first dose of Tamiflu was also. (I took it without food. And 1 hour later had a horrible feeling of chest tightness that only let up when I vomited.) But, 9 hours later I felt the muscle aches decrease.
I’d rather have had the vaccination than the risk from the Flu and/or Tamiflu. I’m confined to the bathroom and bedroom so my kids don’t get it. That’s why the mask to sit on the living room computer. Their pediatrician doesn’t believe in kids and Tamiflu.
Thank Mrs. Bill Clinton for that one.
I have gotten a flu shot every year since they started making it will a “killed” virus and I have never gotten sick for even an hour.
It was not completely ineffective, but there is one strain around that wasn’t in the shot. Estimate is that it’s 50 percent effective and that if you get the strain not in the shot, your illness might be shorter and less severe than if you hadn’t had the vaccine.
Those HPV vaccines don’t protect against all cervical cancer.
Those marketing them know that people won’t understand that.
What I see is an INCREASE in cervical cancer death rates down the road as those vaccinated think they’re protected and don’t get PAP tests.
I don’t know what kinds of bug is going around here, but it seems like half the county has been sick with one bug or the other of late.
I echo your concern. But of course you know my position on that vaccine :)
It sure has here in NYS.
typo will=with
“At my wife’s school, almost all the kids(unvaccinated) got the flu but the teachers (vaccinated) did not.”
Of course, the teachers have had many more years to develop their immune systems through exposure, the teachers probably are much better at hand-washing, not sticking their fingers in their mouths, etc. The teachers don’t touch the kids desks, pencils, toys, etc. nearly as much as the students.
That is why these things are so difficult to study, too many extraneous variables and no controlled studies.
My wife and I both came down with the flu 22 years ago on Valentine’s Day. She was pregnant so she was REALLY miserable. We’ve gotten the flu vaccine very year since and neither one of us has gotten the flu.
My area has a bad cold bug, a stomach virus and the flu. Hard to dodge them all.
You got that right.....it seems hubby is on the verge of one of the stomach bugs right now. Thankfully I have to go out in a little while and will be gone a goodly part of the day!!!!
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