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Pros and cons to getting flu shots

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By James Cummings, Staff Writer Updated 7:28 PM Saturday, October 3, 2009

To vaccinate, or not to vaccinate: That is the question.

At the same time health professionals are urging people to protect themselves from seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, there is a chorus of skeptics saying the vaccinations are unnecessary and potentially dangerous.

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation circulating about vaccines,” said Thomas Herchline, medical director of Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.

“But when there’s a large body of evidence saying that it’s been scientifically established that there are very significant benefits to vaccinations compared to risks, that’s important information that people need to know.”

The yearly vaccines for seasonal flu are currently being administered across the country, and vaccines for the H1N1 strain are expected to be available later this month.

Unlike the seasonal flu vaccine, which includes seniors in its target groups, Herchline said children are at higher risk for the H1N1 strain.

The groups that are being prioritized for the H1N1 vaccine are health care workers, children and young adults 6 months to 24 years, adults who care for infants under 6 months, pregnant women and adults with conditions such as asthma or a compromised immune system that predispose them to complications from flu.

One of the most common allegations critics have circulated is that the H1N1 vaccines was rushed into production and has not been adequately tested. Herchline said production of the new vaccine followed the exact same protocols as the seasonal vaccine, and the vaccine has been highly effective in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here are a few vaccine objections, and some responses from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Claim: There was a mass immunization campaign in the late 1970s for a swine flu threat that never materialized. Within weeks people who took the shot were developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing nerve disease.

CDC response: Guillain-Barré syndrome is so rare and poorly understood that it’s not clear that the same people who were affected wouldn’t have been infected without taking the vaccine.

Claim: Vaccines can contain thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative that can harm the developing brains of children. Vaccines are associated with the development of autism.

CDC response: Thimerosal has been used to prevent contamination from bacteria and fungi which potentially could harm people receiving vaccines. Though thimerosal has never been shown to cause harm, it is becoming less common in vaccines for children. The connection between vaccines and autism is generally based on parents’ observations, but no scientifically reliable links have been found.

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