"flu" Shot

[loco-ladi]

Well its the annual flu shot drive at work, and today I have to choose, get one or not.......

My concern is if its gluten free or not... they add it to everything else why not this too right?

I know when I ask the nurse she most likely wont know and every year before (for the past 6 years I have been getting them) I would get really ill afterwards

So..... anyone atually know if they have gluten in them?

[Guhlia]

I don't know if they have gluten in them, but man did I get sick after getting mine!!! I had D and my whole arm felt like it was on fire and itched like crazy! It was almost enough to drive me nuts. I never even thought about the possibility of having gluten in an injection. I thought it was really only oral meds we needed to worry about. Ugh...

[psawyer]

Injections are not a source of concern. The last thing you want in an injectable medicine is something to gum of the needle, which is exactly what gluten would do.

[jerseyangel]

No worries about injectables from a gluten standpoint.

If you're allergic to eggs, you shouldn't get the flu shot.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

The flu shot also contains mercury, which is a neurotoxin, and a significantly worse problem for those with celiacs due to their leaky guts.

There are many, many of us on here who have gotten much sicker from the flu shot than we have gotten in years when we didn't get the flu shot.

On the other hand, I have also read posts from those who think it has helped them.

Personally, I think you are better off washing your hands with hot soapy water every time you eat, leave a building, use a bathroom, and arrive home from work. I also found that my whole family stays much healthier when we DON'T eat out or eat take-out. I guess you can never tell who is sneezing on your food!

[uclangel422]

There is also the possibility that the brand of flu shot they are using contains MSG, if that causes a problem for you.

I have had it before and got sick as well. I have decided not to take it this year because of that.

[lovegrov]

If gluten is your only concern you need not worry. I get a flu shot annually.

richard

[blueeyedmanda]

I got a flu shot last year for the first time and had no problems. The injection site did burn and itch for a time afterward, maybe an hour. I was told that is normal.

My coworker got very sick after getting the shot. I think it affects everyone differently.

[JennyC]

There is also the possibility that the brand of flu shot they are using contains MSG, if that causes a problem for you.

I have had it before and got sick as well. I have decided not to take it this year because of that.

That's interesting. My son is not allergic to eggs, but when he got a flu shot when he was six months old he broke out in hives exactly 24 hours later. We could never figure out why, but he is definitely never getting one again. I've began to suspect that he has a reaction to MSG or another food additive. Ever since going gluten free, and hence eating much healthier, he seems to react to mainstream junk food. Thank you for posting!

[VioletBlue]

I don't know about gluten. I've asked before about Thimeresol and since no one at the clinics could ever guarantee me it was Mercury free I've always refused. I'm sensitive to Mercury so it would probably make me sick. On top of that I rarely get the flu so it's just not worth the fuss and expense for me.

Violet

[VioletBlue]

People are supposed to be routinely warned that if they have an allergy to eggs they should not get the flu shot. Chicken eggs are used to grow the virus in the vaccine, so the flu shot will set off an allergic reaction if you have an egg allergy. Unfortunately I don't think a lot of the people administering the shots know much of anything about the vaccine itself.

That's interesting. My son is not allergic to eggs, but when he got a flu shot when he was six months old he broke out in hives exactly 24 hours later. We could never figure out why, but he is definitely never getting one again. I've began to suspect that he has a reaction to MSG or another food additive. Ever since going gluten free, and hence eating much healthier, he seems to react to mainstream junk food. Thank you for posting!

[bulrush]

The flu shot also contains mercury, which is a neurotoxin, and a significantly worse problem for those with celiacs due to their leaky guts.

The flu shots contain a MERCURY COMPOUND, which is not toxic, as opposed to elemental mercury, which is very toxic. Even the vapors from elemental mercury are toxic.

Personally, I think you are better off washing your hands with hot soapy water every time you eat, leave a building, use a bathroom, and arrive home from work. I also found that my whole family stays much healthier when we DON'T eat out or eat take-out. I guess you can never tell who is sneezing on your food!

Good ideas, but you are unable to avoid the sick people that go to work, and cough into the same air you breathe.

[Ursa Major]

I have read several articles just lately that say that this year's flu shot is absolutely useless. The reason is, that the viruses they guessed may be this year's problem ones have mutated and changed enough by now, that the vaccine isn't a match any more.

Plus, it has never been proven that the flu vaccine actually works (several studies have shown that many times in old folks homes the only ones who don't get the flu some years are the people who did NOT get the flu shot, but took vitamins instead). It also has aluminum in it. Several studies have shown that old people who get the flu shot five years in a row have a 50% higher risk of getting Alzheimers in comparison to people who don't get it.

If you start giving it to babies now, I imagine that we'll have people in their late twenties with Alzheimer's next. The age of people with diseases like MS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's etc. is getting lower and lower. Could it be that we are destroying people's immune systems (and their brains) by giving all these vaccines?

Personally, I try to strengthen my immune system by eating right and taking supplements, so my body is able to fight off diseases on its own strength. Even though I am not well, I almost never get a cold, and I haven't had the flu in probably 15 years. The same goes for all my kids and my husband.

None of my grandchildren have had any vaccines at all, and they are some of the healthiest kids I know. Because their mothers give them almost never candy, cookies or cake, and feed them healthy food (and most of them are Gluten-free Casein-free as well).

[Centa]

Well, I go ahead and get one, myself, and over the years I've gotten flu much less but Ursa's right, it's not a silver bullet for all flus.

This is about the time of year that I get into "cross contamination" behaviors with flu cooties...get that bottle of hand sanitizer on the desk, use paper towels to turn off faucets in public bathrooms, and drink bottled water instead of touching the drinking fountain. I don't know whether that has a protective enough effect to make a difference, either, but I hope the sum total of shot plus hand sanitizer etc. does. I work among a lot of people, so there are flu bugs going around....

More vitamin C, too.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

The flu shots contain a MERCURY COMPOUND, which is not toxic, as opposed to elemental mercury, which is very toxic. Even the vapors from elemental mercury are toxic.

I don't know where you got your information, but YOU ARE VERY WRONG.

The stuff that mercury is bound to in those compounds helps the mercury go right through the blood brain barrier, where it causes major problems, and it also cannot then be excreted.

[Ursa Major]

I don't know where you got your information, but YOU ARE VERY WRONG.

The stuff that mercury is bound to in those compounds help the mercury go right through the blood brain barrier, where it causes major problems, and it also cannot then be excreted.

I definitely have to agree here. ALL mercury is toxic, including mercury in amalgam fillings (which are also bound to other substances). I can't imagine the level in mercury in people who have had all their vaccinations right from birth, plus flu-shots yearly from the age of six months, plus mercury fillings in their teeth. The mercury load will be absolutely incredible when those kids grow up!

We are playing Russian roulette with our future, and may well end up with immune diseases of epidemic proportions (not to mention an even higher amount of autistic people).

[loco-ladi]

Well, I opted out of the flu shot, the nurse looked at me like I had horns when I asked if it contained any gluten and etc's.

She started to get ready to give me the shot I said, um... excuse me if you cant answer my question I am not ready for the shot, she ended up going and getting the piece of paper out of the box and handing it to me, I then very patiently read everything on it while she stood tapping her foot as I was holding up her line of people... when I could not find what I was looking for as in an actual list of ingredients of any type I said sorry not this year but would you happen to have the manufacturers phone number so I could call them and find out for myself..... I dont think I was her favorite person but every year I have gotten ill after having one, so guess this year I will be taking my chance with John Q Public and I saved myself $5 which I can now spend on some chocolate chip cookies! Havent had any in a while, started having cravings again so I am off to grocery shop, internet style, lol um..... do you suppose the person at the internet checkout knows thats your jammies your wearing?? lol

[Rachel--24]

I definitely have to agree here. ALL mercury is toxic, including mercury in amalgam fillings (which are also bound to other substances). I can't imagine the level in mercury in people who have had all their vaccinations right from birth, plus flu-shots yearly from the age of six months, plus mercury fillings in their teeth. The mercury load will be absolutely incredible when those kids grow up!

We are playing Russian roulette with our future, and may well end up with immune diseases of epidemic proportions (not to mention an even higher amount of autistic people).

I agree Ursa.

My own Dr.'s told me NOT to get a flu shot....not unless I want to get a whole lot worse than I am right now.

I've never gotten a flu shot and I never intend to.

My mom had 11 amalgams while pregnant with me. I got 4 of my own as a child. In 98 I had two vaccines...In 2002 a dentist drilled out 2 of the fillings without doing anything to protect me. That was it for me...the load was too great and I lost my health.

They said if I'd had this load in my first year of life I'd have been on the Spectrum for sure.

We are definately playing Russian roulette with our health and with our future with this much exposure to neurotoxins.

Plus, it has never been proven that the flu vaccine actually works (several studies have shown that many times in old folks homes the only ones who don't get the flu some years are the people who did NOT get the flu shot, but took vitamins instead). It also has aluminum in it. Several studies have shown that old people who get the flu shot five years in a row have a 50% higher risk of getting Alzheimers in comparison to people who don't get it.

This is not surprising. Also mercury and other nuerotoxins have a synergistic effect. The combo. of mercury and aluminum would increase the toxicity of both in the body.

[~alex~]

Anything injectable should be gluten-free since the presence of gluten would make the solution too sticky.

The topic of vaccines seems to be a rather divisive topic. I personally always get a flu shot and likely always will. Not only am I protecting myself from getting sick, I'm protecting others that I may have contact with. High risk people like my grandparents who could be killed by the flu.

If you've ever eaten a can of tuna, you've been exposed to more mercury than is in the flu shot. The ethylmercury in vaccines has also been shown to be eliminated more quickly than the methylmercury in fish. Getting vaccinated has to be a personal decision. Personally, I am happy to protect myself and others from a potentially deadly illness. But I would never encourage someone to get vaccinated if they felt it was unsafe. But as far as gluten goes, I don't think there is any contention over the fact that it is gluten free.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

If you've ever eaten a can of tuna, you've been exposed to more mercury than is in the flu shot. The ethylmercury in vaccines has also been shown to be eliminated more quickly than the methylmercury in fish.

"In America, researchers found some infants who are being vaccinated using multidose vials with thimerosal can receive 62.5 micrograms of mercury per visit.

This is 100 times more than the intake considered safe for the average six-month-old by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In June 1999 the FDA discovered that: "Infants who receive thimerosal-containing vaccine at several visits may have been exposed to more mercury than recommended by Federal guidelines." The following month the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) issued a statement saying: "Cumulative exposure to ethylmercury [found in thimerosal] . . . could lead to a potential cause for concern."

In May last year, a scientist from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave a presentation, based on a study of the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project - a database of 400,000 children - with evidence of harm. Dr Thomas Verstraeten of the CDC found the screening analysis suggests "statistically significant associations" between certain neurologic developmental disorders - such as attention deficit disorder, and speech and language disorders - and exposure to mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines before the age of six months. "

Ethylmercury is MORE likely to cross the blood-brain barrier than methylmercury. Also, you are not injecting a can of tuna into your blood.

And it is very likely that the reason some children become autistic as a direct result of vaccination, while others don't, is that the ones who do are for some genetic reason unable to excrete the mercury.

[~alex~]

I really don't want to get into a debate over this since I don't think it has much to do with the original question. As I said, it is a personal decision and I have my reasons for getting it and respect others who choose not to because of their own reasons.

I don't really want to get too involved in this but I feel like I would look like I'm just making stuff up if I don't post an abstract outlining what I said, so here you go:

The decomposition rate of organomercurials and the potency of the blood-brain barrier increase with the size of the organic radical. Thus methylmercury damages the brain more than thimerosal does, and when intake limits set for methylmercury are applied to thimerosal the safety margin is increased even if the clearances were the same. However, the clearance half-time of ethylmercury in adults is about one-third of the 50 days' clearance half-time of methylmercury given for 60 kg body weight. Moreover, because metabolic rates (e.g. basal metabolism, daily loss of mercury in per cent of body burden) in different weight groups are related to the fractional power of body weight (rule of allometry), mercury clears from the infant body faster than from the adult body. Blood mercury concentrations observed after vaccination showed agreement with allometrically extrapolated concentrations.

J Appl Toxicol. 2003 Jul-Aug;23(4):263-9.

I don't know why there are studies that say different things. I think that's part of the reason why people have to choose for themselves what to do. I choose vaccines but many others don't. I never try to convince people to get them but just wanted to add my two cents. I don't want a debate or to change anyone's mind. I'm kind of wishing I never did post my thoughts since it may have looked like a was gunning for a debate. Sorry if that was the case. I'll take my exit now to make sure this doesn't turn into a debate that veers away from the original question.

[Rachel--24]

Thimerosal is 49 percent ethyl mercury, a widely recognized and potent neurotoxin.

After more than a decade of nationwide, high childhood exposures, it was removed from childhood vaccinations between 1999 and 2002, at the urging of the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics, but is still present in most flu vaccines. California and Iowa have banned mercury-containing thimerosal from all vaccinations, and Missouri and Nebraska have legislation in progress.

But contaminated seafood is not the only source of mercury exposure for the developing fetus or infant. Mercury amalgam dental fillings are a potentially significant source of fetal mercury exposure, although precise amounts are not well characterized.

And from 1988 through about 2002, children were exposed to significant doses of mercury from birth through six months of age in the form of a mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, used in routine childhood immunizations.

Children born to Rh negative mothers were also exposed to mercury in-utero when their mothers received a mercury-containing RhoGAM shot.

The flu shot is another source of fetal and infant mercury exposure. The health impact of mercury exposure through vaccinations has been the source of intense debate because of significant changes in the vaccination regimen from 1988 through 1991 that increased neonatal and infant exposure to mercury.

Mercury, a potent toxic metal that targets the developing brain and nervous system, is challenging lead as the number one environmental health threat to American children.

There is no known "safe" level of mercury in the body. A person's ability to excrete mercury depends on their genetic make-up as well as MANY other factors.

There is no test available to determine body burden of mercury. Some of the most mercury toxic people are not showing elevated mercury levels in testing because they are not able to excrete it. This is often the case with the autistic population as demonstrated in this story.

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