I took my son to the doctor this week for his one year check up. I discussed with the doctor the whole Vitamin D vs the Flu Shot thing and here is the answer that he gave me.
Any other year he would not fight me on not getting the Flu Shot. Swine Flu aside every seven to eight years the flu mutates into a new form that our bodies have not encountered and we have small epidemics. Over the next two years he would like to see me get the shot for all of us until the world sees how the flu mutates. Then we can go from there and again we are not talking about the Swine Flu. He had no comment on it at all.
My friends Pediatrician states the same thing. She only recommends the Flu Shot based on data for that year. My friend has not been advised to give her son a Flu Shot ever but her Pediatrician is leaning towards a yes this year. Her son is four years old.
According to http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/04/this_years_flu_season.php. Pediatric flu mortality has also been better this year 45 deaths. But of the 36 deaths in ages for whom vaccination was recommended (older than 6 months), 5 had been vaccinated, although the data are provisional. No data are given for vaccination rates for comparison. It's clear that if vaccination is protective, it is not completely so. Bacterial co-infection (primarily with Staph) was mostly in older children (over age 10). He has a chart over at the site too.
My Pediatrician said that he loves Vitamin D and recommends it for many other reasons. He stated that he had not heard any news on Vitamin D helping to prevent the Flu but we all know that doctors are not required to keep up on all the latest information.
I'm getting closer to a decision and I think that I am going to make my decision based off of what my friends Pediatrician has to say. If two doctors who normally don't push the vaccine tell us to take it this year, then I think I will listen.
What do you think and has anyone ever heard of this seven year mutation thing? I couldn't find any information on the subject.
Labels: Did You Know, Guest Blogger
3 comments:
I think you should contact at least one or two Naturopathic doctors and ask the same question, and then hear their answers and then make your decision. If you only consult MDs and not also NDs, I believe you will not have a well-rounded base of opinions from which to make your decision.
p.s.- I am sorry you are not feeling well. I hope you are tip-top again very soon!
There certainly are data on high vitamin D levels preventing influenza but there is no data that I know of on the flu vaccine working against Swine fever. Take a look at www.vitaminD3world.com It is a good information source on vitamin D> It also offers a good newsletter
Post a Comment