The current vaccination schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics says that in addition to getting the Hep B vaccine, by 6 months of age, the typical American child will be vaccinated against seven diseases via 17 vaccines, including their boosters. In addition, it is recommended that children 6 months of age or older during the winter season also receive a flu shot. That strikes me as a bit much. Thankfully, as of 2002, mercury is no longer an ingredient in these vaccines (it is either no longer added, filtered out leaving minute traces, or still added only in the case of the influenza vaccine from certain manufacturers). However, the question of vaccine safety is far from over. Other controversial ingredients are still found in many vaccines, from the known carcinogen formaldehyde (used as a preservative) to aluminum (used to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccine, but it can cause neurological damage if the doses are high enough or the kidneys are unable to remove it from the body). And the sheer number of vaccines added to the schedule continues to grow. Already, my youngest son will be offered a vaccine (against Rotavirus) that his brother, born in 2005, never got.

Up until recently, there hasn’t been much solid information available to concerned parents. On one end of the spectrum are vaccine manufacturers, the FDA, and doctors all telling us that vaccines are perfectly safe. Of course, they claimed this when thimerosal was an ingredient in vaccines, causing children to receive doses of mercury above what was considered safe (worrisome especially because vaccine manufacturer Merck knew this was the case in 1991 but didn’t do anything about it). On the other end of the spectrum are websites and books filled with frightening information that leaves parents feeling like vaccines cause more harm than good.

Fortunately, as of Oct 2007, there is a great book available that contains unbiased, sound information about the pros and cons of all the vaccines recommended. The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears, devotes a full chapter to each vaccine on the current vaccination schedule. Dr. Sears thoroughly examines each disease, how common it is, its severity, and how its treated. He then dives into the vaccine–how its made, who manufactures it, what the ingredients are, what side effects may occur, and the reasons to give, as well as not to give, the vaccine. He also has chapters on vaccine safety research, vaccine ingredients, and recommended schedules for parents interested in delaying or skipping certain vaccines. In addition, Dr. Sears has a website where he offers updates to his book. I’m currently reading the book and highly recommend it. A book like this is long overdue!

Why try to avoid the influenza virus? Yes, it can make you uncomfortably sick, but so can the common cold. Are a few days of fever, sore throat, cough, and body aches really that threatening that we must vaccinate against them? For the average person, no. But the flu can progress into much more serious illnesses. It can lead to pneumonia, particularly in the elderly, and can result in hospitalizations or even death. But is a flu shot really the best preventative measure and does it even really protect us from the flu? Here are some things to take into consideration before getting a flu shot for yourself and/or your children…

• The influenza vaccine’s effectiveness can very wildly from year to year. Since vaccine makers must attempt to predict which strains of influenza will be problematic each year, before the flu season begins, the shot can often miss some of the strains that end up striking. On a year when they get it right, the flu shot is still only 40 – 60% effective for the people for whom it’s recommended, children and the elderly^{2, 3, 4}.
• The majority of illnesses contracted in the winter months are not even caused by influenza. The flu shot has no effect on the common cold.
• Children often need not one but two flu shots to receive protection from influenza. At least one study has found one shot to be ineffective³.
• The majority of flu shots contain a preservative called Thimerosal, which is approximately half mercury⁵. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and Thimerosal has been shown to have toxic effects on neurons⁶. While manufacturers claim that the amount of mercury in each shot is minimal, does a neurotoxin belong in the bodies of pregnant women and young children at all? In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement saying “mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population.” Despite this, as of 2006, 90% of flu shots still contained thimerosal⁷.
• Some of the most effective methods against disease transmission carry no risks whatsoever–hand washing, adequate sleep, and a nutritious diet. Washing your hands frequently throughout the day with warm water and soap for 20 seconds or more is one of the best ways to avoid catching the flu or a cold. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants and sleeping well gives your immune system the tools it needs to fight off illnesses effectively. Also consider taking a probiotic supplement or eating plenty of yogurt, as the beneficial bacteria help keep your gut flora strong and healthy. Since more than half of the immune cells that produce antibodies line your intestines, keeping them healthy with good bacteria can reduce your chance of getting sick and/or reduce the severity of the illness once you’ve caught it⁸. (I can attest to this as the first winter of my son’s life, our entire family was eating homemade yogurt regularly and we caught one cold the entire season!) Getting a flu shot may give you a false sense of security and you may fail to do some of the simplest things to prevent illness.
• If you still decide to get a flu shot, always insist on one that is Thimerosal free. The manufacturer sanofi pasteur estimates that 10-12 million doses of thimerosal-free vaccine will be produced for the 2007-2008 season, and MedImmune is projecting 7 million doses. Novartis provides a thimerosal free vaccine called Fluvirin that is approved for people 4 and older, and GlaxoSmithKline’s Fluarix is approved for those 18 and older⁵.

Sites worth visiting:
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/12-tips-prevent-cold-flu
http://www.cispimmunize.org/fam/autism/thimerosal.htm
http://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/iuk/live/forschung/publikationen/Mutter_Autism_NEL.pdf

1. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm, Accessed 10/16/07.

2. Shuler, GM, et. al. Vaccine Effectiveness against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza among children aged 6 to 59 months, 2003-2004. Pediatrics. 2007; 119(3): 587-595.

3. Allison, MA, et. al. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in healthy 6 to 21 month old children during the 2003-2004 season. J Pediatrics. 2006; 149(6): 755-762.

4. Herrera, GA, et. al. Influenza vaccine effectiveness among 50-64 year old persons during a season of poor antigenic match between vaccine and circulating influenza virus strains: Colorado, United States, 2003-2004. Vaccine. 2007; 25(1): 154-160.

5. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm, Accessed 10/18/07.

6. Ueha-Ishibashi T, et al. Effect of thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines, on intracellular Ca2+ concentration of rat cerebellar neurons. Toxicology. 2004; 195(1): 77-84.

7. Smith, Mike. Most Americans Surprised, Concerned that 90 Percent of Flu Shots Contain the Toxin Mercury. Putchildrenfirst.org, Nov 13, 2006. See: http://www.generationrescue.org/pdf/pressrelease2.pdf.

8. Winkler, P, et. al. Effect of a dietary supplement containing probiotic bacteria plus vitamins and minerals on common cold infections and cellular immune parameters. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2005; 43(7):318-326.