TOPIC:

Hi friends

Flu season is approaching & I am again wondering if i need to give flu shots(this yr combined with swine flu shots) to my ITP daughter & NS(another auto imm ds) son .(till now we have never done flu shots)
My girl's count is stuck around 60-75K so wondering what if the shots kinda screw the counts
Initially our heamogst last yr was also reluctant but later with swine flu on she did recommended but we did not. This yr we plan for vacation overseas.

What do most you with ITP kids do--both in remission and with low platelets? And, how does the flu shots effect their platelets??

What are most of your experiences on these shots? I've always seem to read that the flu shots bring down platelets--but then so does being sick.

Thanks for support

I've never been a fan of any flu shots, and have never used them for any of my family. But, I think in light of what's coming out in preliminary reports on the H1N1 vaccine, those already dealing with ITP would be wise to carefully consider the implications of getting it. [Remember, too, that this vaccine was rushed in the making. No longterm studies were done, and the short term studies were limited in their length and who they were done on. People that choose to take it, do so at their own risk, and are truly the drug companies' guinea pigs.]

This is from Dr. Mercola's website, and his interview with Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center:
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/21/barbara-loe-fisher-on-flu-vaccine-changes.aspx

The news for this year is that the flu vaccine you'll get this fall will be a combination vaccine that contains both the regular flu- and the swine flu vaccines – you will not be given the choice to take them individually.

Barbara Loe Fisher explains:

"In February of 2009, the CDC announced that every single American from the age of 6 months through the year of death should get an annual flu shot -- every single one of us, whether we're healthy or we're sick.



In March of 2009, this mysterious H1N1 bird-pig-human hybrid influenza virus was discovered.

So here we are… Everyone is supposed to get a flu shot every year. We're going into the flu season of 2010-2011…. [But] they have decided that in the annual influenza shot for this year, there will be three type A or type B viruses, and one will be H1N1."

This is the same type of vaccine that Australia recently suspended for use in children under the age of five because it caused a surprisingly high number of reports of children suffering high fevers, vomiting and febrile convulsions.

But children aren't the only group that seem to react more violently to the trivalent vaccine that contains the H1N1 component.

A special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent vaccine for signs that it may be associated with a higher rate of certain kinds of reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is that there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.

Fisher explains:

"One was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which we know has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976 when the first swine flu vaccine was used. There is [also] a sign of a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is when your blood cannot produce enough platelets. It's an autoimmune type reaction.

The other is Bell's palsy. That's a facial paralysis. It's a neuroimmune reaction.

The government is saying they don't know if these are true signals or not, but there were some red flags that were raised."

So now we're moving into the 2010-2011 flu season with a vaccine that may be very reactive.

"I am concerned," Fisher says, "We have over 300 million people [in the US] which… are supposed to get this influenza vaccine. And we have a very aggressive push by the media and others who are following the lead of the government, so we could have a bad situation."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This would certainly raise some red flags for me. And, there are quite a few other more natural and effective ways to deal with the flu, anyway, both in preventing it and treating it. (In fact, there is very little evidence to support the assumption that the flu shot has ever been effective!) Optimal levels of Vitamin D can be very effective. Dr. mercola has some excellent information on his website.

I am a homeopath, and I saw many cases of people with flu-like symptoms over the last year. A large number of them had actually been given the flu shot, but it didn't work. Regardless whether or not they'd been vaccinated, homeopathy works on the principle of "Like cures Like", so matched their particular symptoms to the known remedies we have, and their known symptoms that they can cure. Last year, the remedies I found most often needed were Eupatorium perfoliatum, Arsenicum album, Gelsemium and Bryonia.
When taken at the very earliest signs, Oscillococcinum was often able to avert the flu, or at least to lessen it's duration or severity.

April

Hey there,

This topic is alway a hot spot. While we personally have given our daughter both shots (she is 9-1/2 and has had ITP for 6 years), I have learned that it should be a combination parental "gut" decision along with your pediatrician and most important your hematologist. The great debate seems to go on so there is no black and white answer. It really comes down to your own comfort zone and a good open conversation with your doctor.

It is one of those things that if you talk to 10 different people you will get 10 different opinions.

BTW, in our case, and this is only our experience, we had no downside to giving the shot (platelets lowering, etc).

Jay

Hi
did you give flu vaccine to your daughter.
I am having same issue with my son, and wonder should I give flu vaccine to him or not.
His platelets always fall after flu attack.
I don’t know what to do.

This thread was last answered 9 years ago - the one who started it and Jay have not been here in 9 years - April is no longer with the group.

tariqfazal [not a good idea to have your email address out like that - there are some strange people out there] - what does your son's hematologist say? How old is your son - what is his count?

Thank you for the reply, now I am not able to change the I’d the change option is disabled.
We just diagnose his ITP issue last December at that time his count was 10... and next day reach to 16... and by next two weeks over 250....
But in feb after flu his platelets went down again to 46....
After recovering from flu it went over 150 again....
But my concern is whenever is having flu his platelets going down...and I was thinking to give him a flu shot... but when I read this thread I am afraid what if his platelets goes down again and what if it went below 10....
Hematologist are saying that his age is 4 and there is a big chance he will recover it by himself....
Please advice
You can send me private email if you want.
Thank you

Wow, that is great your son's count bounced back after he had the flu!!

There are some here who are very anti-vaccines of any kind, April was one and Sandi is too - the thing is you are the one who has to make the decision, you have to decide what is best for your son. No one here should tell you what to do, that is for you to decide. What does your hematologist say about him getting the flu shot?

tariqfazal@yahoo.com wrote:

...
We just diagnose his ITP issue last December at that time his count was 10... and next day reach to 16... and by next two weeks over 250....
But in feb after flu his platelets went down again to 46....
After recovering from flu it went over 150 again
...
Hematologist are saying that his age is 4 and there is a big chance he will recover it by himself...

Those are very impressive recoveries. What the hematologist describes, seems likely with those past recoveries.

Yes, Flu shots are a controversial subject. But it is for good reason. There is no scientific consensus. Perhaps this article will help understand the controversy.
"Vitamin D And Flu Prevention | Strengthening Innate Immunity"
www.goodlivingwarehouse.com/vitamin-d-and-flu-prevention-strengthening-innate-immunity/

Hal
Interesting regarding Vitamin D but not the most accurate article about Flu vaccine which I agree is a contentious subject. This is quite a reasonable explanation
www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/influenza/vaccination/influenza-vaccination-coverage-and-effectiveness

Hal, seriously, your link for Vitamin D is a link to a company that SELLS VITAMIN D !! Look near the top of the page, the bar has:
"Shop" - "Specials" - "My Account" - "Cart"
You can get 180 Vitamin D3 capsules for $34.25, serving size 2 capsules equaling 500% of the daily value!!

No one, and certainly not a child, should be taking more vitamin D than is recommended unless a doctor prescribes it!!

Interesting article mrsb - thanks.