To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate: The H1N1 Vaccine

9:42:00 PM Unknown 4 Comments

Many people recently are asking the question should I vaccinate myself and my family against H1N1. In hopes of helping to answer this question I have done extensive research to provide you with up to the date information from both sides of the debate this information should help you to make an informed educate decision regarding the H1N1 vaccine.
Health Canada and the CDC recommends ages 6 months to 24 years and people over the age of 65 to get the H1N1 vaccine. Health Canada feels the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases are far greater than the risk of the vaccine. In a poll done in the US ½ of health care workers said they are not confident with the vaccine and are planning on refusing it. On the other hand I did my own survey at my work and discovered that 2/3 of those health care workers were for the vaccine and one of my co-workers made a valid point by say “He felt the vaccine is safe and since it is predicted that 30-50% of the population will contract H1N1 he felt the risk of getting the side effects are better than the risk of death for his children if they get the virus.” Also, in a recent ABC poll 3 out of 10 people were not confident in the safety of the H1N1 vaccine and 4 out of 10 parents were unsure if they would vaccinate their child. The two main concerns people had were they felt the vaccine maybe unsafe due improper testing, Although Health Canada states that this vaccine meets the requirements of being safe and effective and has been tested by the manufacturer before the approval of sale was made. The other concerns were the two main ingredients in vaccine which are: squalene which is oil based derivative that can cause blindness, auto-immune dysfunction, inability for sperm production and death. And Thimerosal which is mercury which people feel may cause autism. Other ingredients in the vaccine include formaldehyde and potassium sulphate which is a soluble salt used in fertilizer. In response to these concerns Health Canada states the vaccine is safe and effective and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization http://atlantique.phac.gc.ca/naci-ccni/index-eng.php has reviewed the latest science and has concluded, “There is no legitimate safety reason to avoid the use of thimerosal-containing products for children and older individuals”. Other concerns surrounding the vaccine are serious side effects like autism and Guillan-Barre syndrome which is an incurable auto immune disorder that attacks the protective myelin sheath surrounding the nerves and it has been reported that many of the people that received the vaccine in the 1970’s contacted Guillian-Barre syndrome. In response this concern Health Canada and the CDC state the causes of these disorders are not known and there is no link between these disorders and the vaccine. In conclusion I hope the information provided here helps you to make an informed educated decision. The choice is yours; you have to decide for your self is the known side effects of the disease greater than the unknown side effects of the vaccine. And remember for every action there is a reaction so please educate yourself and give this topic some serious thought before you make a decision.