I am new to this board. I have two boys, 4 and 20 months. With the exception of the flu shot every year (because I cannot get thimerosol-free), I followed the standard vaccination schedule without deviation.
I am American, living in Canada, a suburb of Toronto. The H1N1 vaccine has been a nightmare here. People standing in lines 7-8 hours long only to be turned away at the last minute. That has improved a little, but now the shortage. I haven't even attempted to get it. I have wondered if I can somehow get this in the U.S. given that I am American. Desperate measures.
I did some reading on this vaccine. It is offered in adjuvanted and unadjuvanted. The U.S. only has unadjuvanted, while Canada only has the adjuvanted form unless you're 20+ weeks pregnant. In other words, because it isn't tested on pregnant women, they aren't taking a chance on the unadjuvanted with them (but they will take a chance with everyone else I guess). The thing that is SO disturbing to me is one of the ingredients in the immune booster, squalene oil. I did extensive reading and this booster ingredient is linked to a host of frightening diseases, ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, various cancers, just to name a few. This booster was also linked to the Gulf War Syndrome that no one wants to admit exists. They say on the website here it's naturally occuring in the body, which I have read it is, but when ingested through food, like olive oil, it is a benefit, but when injected through the shot, the immune system attacks it like it is supposed to, but then attacks the good squalene in the body, which protects the nervous system, leaving it unprotected and therefore vulnerable to disases of the nervous system.
Because of this, DH and I had pretty much said, "no way are they getting this shot", I think any parent who has this information would at least hesitate. Then I wondered if this is as big a worry as I have read, after all, who do you believe. I'm so fearful of this vaccine. If I were in the U.S., I probably would get it without another thought, but being here, I'm worried that money prompted this reckless decision to innoculate everyone with something we have no idea what it will cause down the road. I haven't read of any short term effects, but I read the long term effects are what cause the problems, long after any monitoring of vaccine side effects.
I am a SAHM. I do not take my children anywhere but outside for fresh air. I'm absolutely fearful of this flu, equally fearful of the vaccine and I do not know what to do. I want to do what is best for my children, but I am not a doctor or a chemist and I am not qualified to answer these questions. I cannot get my doctor to call me back and public health here is slammed and not returning calls, leaving me without help. I was hoping the CL of this board could shed some light.
I know this is extremely long, and I apologize, but any help in this would be so deeply appreciated. I love my children with everything I have, as we all do and I just want to do what is right, I just don't want to harm their health in the process.
TIA for any help you can give. The U.S. did the right thing with this vax imo, I just wish Canada had been as smart.
Thank you for your link, I appreciate it. The thing that bothers me is, while I didn't know who Dr. Joseph Mercola was, I did worry about what he stated in his article (who wouldn't). I don't know who SBM is either. I think it's a matter of "whom do you trust" and it drives me crazy because what this all comes down to is trying to sort this information so I can keep my children safe. I'm especially worried about my 20 month old son. Down below, where it's highlighted in blue, was especially worrisome to me. I realize that pregnant women and mothers with children in this age group aren't going to offer themselves to be experiments (who would), but the fact remains that this group, by the Government of Canada's own admission, has no evidence of an adjuvanted influenza clinical trial for safety in this group, nor has it ever used an adjuvant in an influenza vaccine. All this aside, this article states a follow up for months for vaccine reaction, not years, but what about years down the road? While this situation is different, I had a friend who was the daughter of a DES mother who didn't find out she had an incompetent cervix (causing her to prematurely deliver 4 month fetuses two times) until she was almost 30. Could this cause ALS and MS and rheumatoid arthritis, just to name a few diseases I read about, years down the road? I realize that those things can occur anyways, I'm just asking from one mother to another. You aren't faced with this decision since you are in the U.S. and I guess I also questioned why the U.S. decided to not use the adjuvanted form for the entire population as opposed to here. The WHO asked countries to use the adjuvanted form since it saved on antigen, yet instead, despite having ten times the population of Canada, still chose the unadjuvanted form for their entire population, regardless of age or pregnancy status. Could you share your professional opinion as to why that is? Since there were no clinical trials for safety, what would make the government think it's ok to essentially use my child (my other son is four) as a clinical trial for the first use of an adjuvant in an influenza vaccine? Would you inject this into your 20 month old? I see your children, who are beautiful btw, seem to be over this age. Please know that I am so fearful and so fiercely protective (I suffered six miscarriages before I was able to finally have my children) of my children that maybe I flog things more than others, but at the end of the day, I just need to feel confident of this adjuvanted vaccine, that my children aren't being used as lab rats so the government can finally get their statistics for this age group. I truly appreciate your link, am a little relieved to see there is at least one thing disputing the multitudes of anti-squalene information out there. If I could have gotten the unadjuvanted form, this would already be done. The government here, for safety precautions ordered the unadjuvanted form for pregnant women only, you cannot get this for your kids, only 20wk + gestational women (the other untested group for adjuvanted influenza safety), but my 20 month old son who is in the other part of the group with no clinical trials for safety and it's ok to use this adjuvanted form on him, it's somehow ok to take this chance with him. This may sound like I'm trying to dispute everything, but can you at least see my point?
This is from the Government of Canada website: (The second paragraph of Q1 irritates me because there is no mention of the 6months to 3 year group not being widely tested.)
Q1. By buying an unadjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women, isn't the government basically admitting there are serious risks with the adjuvanted vaccine?
No. There is no evidence to suggest that the adjuvanted vaccine is unsafe. Both vaccines have gone through extensive testing and review before being approved for use. However, there is no evidence available from clinical trials using adjuvanted vaccine in pregnant women or in children aged six months to three years.
The adjuvanted vaccine provides much stronger protection, however the Government of Canada ordered 1.8 million doses of unadjuvanted vaccine to offer pregnant women, since adjuvanted vaccine has not been widely tested in this group. The decision to purchase unadjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women is based on a desire to err on the side of caution.
Q2. Why didn't the government just buy enough unadjuvanted vaccine for everyone?
The WHO recommended countries use dose-sparing vaccines whenever possible. By developing an adjuvanted vaccine, we use less of the virus material (antigen), allowing us to immunize more people in a timely manner. The use of an adjuvant may also provide cross-protection against virus drift, which is common in influenza viruses. Virus drift occurs when the flu virus begins to change. Adjuvanted vaccine provides a broader spectrum of immunity as it protects against infection and severe disease even when the virus begins to change.
I know this is long, but I would appreciate your help. I cannot get calls answered back from public health here because they are swamped and my doctor is on vacation, leaving her already over-burdened practice under more strain from those trying to cover for her.
TIA, and again, I sincerely appreciate your link, I know being a Mom and a doctor, I'm sure your life is beyond busy. Again, please don't feel like I'm challenging you, you were so kind to post the link in response to my post, I just desperately need these questions answered and I feel like you're my only life line.
