If you heard that the new swine flu vaccine had significant side effects or dangers, would you get it for yourself or your children?

What scares me about the vaccine for the novel H1N1 influenza is that is was created and marketed so fast. In only a few months since the initial onset of the swine flu in the spring scientists created this new vaccine and likely tested it on only a limited sample population. It’s great that it has not shown any significant side effects, but you never know how your immune system or that of your children will respond to the vaccine’s components.

Further, if given the nasal vaccine, which contains an attenuated or weakened live virus, is there a slight possibility that the recipient could develop the full-blown illness? Also, it can take years for a medication to become FDA approved, but in this case the vaccine was approved within a few months of its manufacture. These are all things to consider when deciding whether or not to get the new flu vaccine.

I think I will wait until the first doses have been provided to health professionals and other critical groups and see how well the general population is responding physically to the vaccine and whether any side effects become known. If I did learn about severe side effects, I would like not risk it but continue to use preventative measures to protect my children and family from contracting the virus.

Dear all It all depnds on the risks and benefits. Let us say, hypothetically that the vaccine has severe side effects affecting 5% of receipients but the chance of getting swine flu is only 1% and the possibility of a severe infection is only 1 in 1000. Definitely you should not take the vaccine.

However if the vaccine is safe and you have a high chance of contracting the disease, then you should take it. The best person to tell you about this would be your GP. So take his advice Regards Gamchep.

I will never get the shot. I don't get the regular flu shot and this one is no different to me. My opinion is.."If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I can't remember the last time I was sick and when I have been in the past, the basics work for me. 1/ Plenty of water 2/ Rest 3/ No dairy 4/ And if you're over 21 tea w/brandy sweats it out(really works), under 21 Throat Coat tea w/honey and lemon If I cannot sleep, I turn to good old Robitussin (grape) My colds don't last a week.

Yeah, I think I'll take my risks with the flu. :P.

I don't do the shot because of having Lupus. I've never taken my kids to get them, but my daughter was told by her employer that they were highly recommending them to get the shot. She works for a very large retail store and there's over 300 employees and thousands of customers per day so they were telling the employees they would be safer to get vaccinated.

These vaccines really scare me. I mean, the vaccines we give our kids are just now, years and years later, showing possible side effects. How can we be sure that the ones that they have to make new every year for the flu are not going to have some side effects?

Medical science is scary sometimes.... Then again, I take a lot of meds every day and I wonder sometimes what I'm doing to my body with them all. So anyway, no, no shot for me or my kids. However, I will be certain if my son shows signs of the flu to get him seen by a doctor immediately.

Being a doctor, I would like to answer this question with medical information so that it may help others to decide about swine flu vaccine. Please know some facts about flu and vaccine. 1.

Flu vaccine is not for everyone, its basically for those who are immunocompromised, highly exposed to source of infection like nurses treating swine flu patients, or a person with diagosed swine flu patient at home and he/she is the caretaker of patient. 2. Swine flu is like a normal flu for those having good immunity.

Infact even if they get germs they might have no symptom at all if there body is strong. Boost up your immune response by good sleep, drink plenty of water, stay far from stress, eat vitamin c rich fruits, regular exercise, washing hands, use of masks in publc places. These things have nooooo side effect and like vaccine they are increasing your mmunity:).

So I would not like to get vaccinated myself and my children, I would rather increase my immunity naturally. Don't get stressed stay happy, happiness also boost up energy and immunity:).

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.