More Hysteria - Flu Vaccines

Once again the battle of thought versus belief is on display at the T&G website. Today's forum centers on the hysteria over seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccine.

The T&G reports that some 38% of parents are unwilling to allow their children to be vaccinated because of concerns about the vaccines' safety. I donned my NannyBanhammer costume and entered the fray.

There is absolutely no such thing as a safe medical procedure. Never has been, never will be. All medical procedures carry risks. Medical decision making is about weighing the risks of treatment versus the benefits of treatment.

Taking a Tylenol may damage your liver. Electing to have a Lasik procedure may damage your eyes. Open heart surgery could kill you.

Yet the risk of taking a Tylenol is known to be small, and the benefit - reduced fever or pain - may outweigh the risk of damage. Electing to modify the surface of your eyes seems decidedly riskier, but for some the benefit of no longer needing corrective lenses means the risk is acceptable. Some may reason that the benefit of having their chest cracked open to repair damaged blood vessels outweighs the risk of walking around with a ticking time bomb in their chest.

Even a tongue depressor can cause injury.

Children are known to be at greater risk of morbidity from the H1N1 influenza strain. The manufacturing method used to produce H1N1 vaccine is well understood. Certain populations, such as those sensitive to chicken eggs, may be more likely to have a severe reaction to the vaccine, but for the majority of us, the main health hazard posed by the vaccine is an uncomfortable stick in the arm.

The method of manufacture used to produce the H1N1 vaccine is essentially identical to that of the seasonal flu vaccine. Virus is grown in a medium such as chicken egg yolk. Once sufficient volume is grown, chemicals are used to weaken or inactivate (kill) the virus. The weakened or deactivated virus is tested, packed, and shipped. The nasal spray version of the H1N1 vaccine contains weakened virus. The injectable contains inactivated virus. Basically, your immune system detects the chemical signature of the virus and learns to build antibodies to it. That's how we become immune to certain viruses and/or strains.

I plan to be vaccinated, and my wife and I plan to have our child vaccinated. I've researced the mythical link between vaccines and autism. I've concluded it's bunk.

Your mileage may vary. Just be sure to make informed decisions, based on your own knowledge of the risks and benefits.

Otherwise, you're letting emotions dictate how you care for your child, rather than rationality. Make your own decision, but make sure it's informed.