To Flu Vaccine or Not to Flu Vaccine that is the question.

No flu shot for me.
And no more Covid shots either.

I work in an elderly care home
I have to wear a mask when I’m out of the kitchen so it’s safe for the residents. They can be out of their rooms when I’m out doing other duties of the job.

(I’m in Canada - and the rules are pretty slack -leaving it up to the individuals to get the shot or not)

I've not had a flu vaccine for a long time -- at least 25 years.

My thinking is along the lines of what Garzie wrote. This isn't something I take lightly, because I understand that humans have benefitted from various pharmaceutical interventions. But, humans (including me) have also been harmed by legal, properly-prescribed, "safe and effective"™ medications. (List of Withdrawn Drugs)

As I've gotten older, the decision of whether or not to take a medication or supplement (which also have risks) has become quite difficult. One reason is because of my age. The longer one lives, the more they see and experience. This information, along with the ability to identify patterns, goes into one's data bank and is used to inform future decisions. With more information (and due to my age), my risk calculations are not the same as when I was younger.

Another reason I find decisions more difficult is due to the overwhelming amount of available information. If I felt we had clear, accurate, valid, repeatable, and unbiased information to consider, making a decision would be a lot easier for me. However, I don't always feel this is the case. But, this is simply my opinion. I'm not a doctor.

Regarding the influenza vaccine ingredients, it seems they contain the following:

• Formaldehyde is used to inactivate toxins from viruses and bacteria
  
• Thimerosal safeguards against contamination, and it is only present in multi-dose vials
  
• Aluminum salts act as adjuvants and impart a more robust immune response
  
• Gelatin is present as a stabilizer
  
• Antibiotics, such as gentamicin or neomycin, are present in the flu vaccine to keep bacteria from growing

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk537197

Regarding my above comment about the reliability of data, I'll use thimerosal as an example.

What is Thimerosal?
Thimerosal is an ethyl mercury-based preservative used in vials that contain more than one dose of a vaccine (multi-dose vials) to prevent germs, bacteria and/or fungi from contaminating the vaccine.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/thimerosal.htm

Do flu vaccines contain thimerosal?
Flu vaccines in multi-dose vials contain thimerosal to safeguard against contamination of the vial. Most single-dose vials and pre-filled syringes of flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine do not contain a preservative because they are intended to be used once.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/thimerosal.htm

The Human Body Eliminates Thimerosal Easily
Thimerosal does not stay in the body a long time so it does not build up and reach harmful levels. When thimerosal enters the body, it breaks down to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate, which are readily eliminated.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/index.html

Thimerosal Has Been Shown to Be Safe When Used in Vaccines
Thimerosal use in medical products has a record of being very safe. Data from many studies show no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/index.html

Examining the Evidence That Ethylmercury Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier
Although it has been suggested that ethylmercury (C2H5Hg+)-containing compounds do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), this review examines the literature that addresses the question as to whether ethylmercury-containing compounds cross the BBB. [...] The results indicate that ethylmercury-containing compounds are actively transported across membranes by the L (leucine-preferring)-amino acid transport (LAT) system, the same as methylmercury-containing compounds. Further, 22 studies from 1971 to 2019 show that exposure to ethylmercury-containing compounds (intravenously, intraperitoneally, topically, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intranasally administered) results in accumulation of mercury in the brain. In total, these studies indicate that ethylmercury-containing compounds and Thimerosal readily cross the BBB, convert, for the most part, to highly toxic inorganic mercury-containing compounds, which significantly and persistently bind to tissues in the brain, even in the absence of concurrent detectable blood mercury levels.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s1382668919301875

So, as a lay person, am I to conclude that ethylmercury and thimerosal are safe? What if I take a thimerosal-containing flu shot every year for 20, 30, or 40 years?

As a reminder, as noted further above, if the flu vaccine is taken from a single-use vial, there should be no concern about thimerosal. Plus, if the CDC is correct, thimerosal is safe anyway, when found in the trace amounts in the multi-dose vials. My main point is my frustration about what to believe.

Further Reading

Vaccine Excipient Summary
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/b/excipient-table-2.pdf

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Post Edited (The Dude Abides) : 10/25/2023 1:29:17 AM GMT

Dude is just casually dispensing intellectual firepower like it's nothing. I love it. 🤩

I don't think I've ever had a flu vaccine, not for me.

The onset of my life altering symptoms from Lyme/co started about 4 days after my 2nd ever flu shot. That was in 2009. I did get one other flu shot and a PneumoVax several years later (before I knew about Lyme). I don’t plan to ever get a vaccine again, especially since I now have a better understanding of what a vaccine is. They put things in it to get your immune system to react and create antibodies to whatever they are vaccinating you against. Too much risk for an aberrant immune response for my comfort.

P.S. - The best prevention I have found for communicable diseases (long before COVID) is frequent hand washing with soap and water, especially before eating, blowing nose, or touching face. I avoid shaking hands, when possible, and washing hands immediately after when not possible, and avoiding getting close to sick people. I use my own pens, push elevator buttons with my elbows, open doors with my shirttail. Works great.

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 10/25/2023 11:04:04 AM (GMT-8)