To not give my children the swine flu vaccine?

[wintersnow]

I decided not to last year as I wanted to wait and see how safe it was but am reconsidering this year after several people have died. Did you give it to your children and what were your reasons to give/not give it?

Leonie - Wakefield broke ethical standards and was eventually held to account. The press didn't break any of their ethical standards as they have appalingly low ones, which don't seem to include an obligation to understand what the fuck they are talking about or distinguish between the credibility of different sources.

The vaccine pressure group thinks that vaccines can cause some allegies

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2003/aug/13/familyandrelationships.medicineandhealth

The experts say no.

I'm finding the exchange between Pixie and Leonie very interesting.

Pixie - nobody knows the risks of everything - that is a problem especially when you have kids.

However, I don't think your argument is a very sound one - essentially that people who are concerned about vaccinations are hypocrites because we allow our kids to eat.

sorry, vaccine pressure group, called Jabs

Leonie - Exactly whose cash cow? Which conspiracy theory is this? There was/is good money in giving seperate vaccines. That's what you would do if you wanted to maximise profit.

electra - I don't think you are being called hypocritical. You are being called intellectually incoherent.

Sorry, enjoying it too much now. Just won't take it seriously

Bubbleymummy - H1N1 is this year's seasonal flu strain. The reason for all the fuss is because flu patients do not in general end up on ITU but a disproportionate number of patients with H1N1 do.

And there were 2 deaths from measles in 2008 alone, the risk is not purely from mortality, it's the associated complications.

Just wondering if those who think the govt and pharma companies are conspiring against us all (and I'm not saying they aren't!) use any medicines at all?

undercovasanta, remember Tony Blair and his son Leo, and how he refused to say whether Leo had had the MMR vaccine, which was being recommended to everyone else?

But Bush and Clinton drank diet drinks, so they may not be as aware as some ordinary people.

I think YABU.

On a side note, the body makes squalene itself in some biochemical pathways.

Do your own research, don't rely on experts.
Some experts once sold us a "dodgy dossier" that took us to war.

Do you have any figures/ links to support that please elephantine? I would imagine that several of the thousands of people who die from seasonal flu every year will end up in intensive care at some point...

Re measles deaths. There was 1 death in 2006 and 1 death in 2008 from acute measles, both were in immunocompromised patients. The last death prior to that was in 1992. In that period 1992-2008) there were over 80000 recorded cases of measles.

Leonie/Claig - I just asked about pharmaceuticals in general - are you happy to use them (antibiotics etc)?

bubbleymummy of the 80000 recorded cases of measles, I wonder how many had serious complications?

yes of course, not all medicines pose the same risks.