Consider the facts before getting a flu vaccine
Before everyone runs out to get their annually recommended flu shot, I felt I needed to point out a few facts that have not been mentioned.

Most flu vaccines still contain the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and can be highly detrimental, especially in children.

Each year three strains of flu are included in the flu shot. These strains are guessed at the year prior. Often, these guesses are wrong, meaning that you are not even protected from the flu variations present in a given year.

The flu shot carries with it both short- and long-term side effects. These can range from fever, fatigue, painful joints and headache to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and even death. GBS is an immune-mediated nerve disorder characterized by muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, pain and sometimes paralysis of one or more limbs or the face. Recovery takes several months and can include residual disability.

The nasal flu vaccine, commonly known as Flumist, is a live-virus vaccine. This inhaled version can infect others for up to 21 days after being given and therefore actually spreads influenza.

Before allowing this substance to be injected into your body or the bodies of your children, please review the facts and make an educated decision. More information on the flu vaccine and other vaccinations can be found on the Web site of the National Vaccine Information Center at www.nvic.org.

Rhonda Kolarik

Manalapan