Half of parents surveyed say flu shot causes the flu

by NASEEM S. MILLER | Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, 1:33 a.m. of TribLive

A new survey on parents’ attitudes toward the flu vaccine may shed light on why some continue to resist it even though not getting vaccinated could put their children in danger.

A national survey of 700 parents by Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital showed more than half the respondents said the flu shot can cause flu. One-third said the flu shot didn’t work.

“With any medication or vaccine, people are going to have concerns,” Dr. Jean Moorjani, a board-certified pediatrician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, said in a news release. “Because information can come from so many places, from friends and family to the internet, it’s important to talk to a doctor you trust to get credible information that is based in science and facts.”

The survey also found:

• 30 percent of the respondents thought flu shot is a conspiracy.

• 28 percent said flu caused autism.

“After extensive studies, we know that the flu vaccine is safe,” Moorjani said. “You cannot get autism from the flu vaccine. It is not a conspiracy for doctors to recommend the flu vaccine. Doctors recommend it because we know — based on science, research and facts — that it is the best way to protect yourself and your family against the flu.”

Here’s a bit of good news from the survey: about 70 percent of the parents said that the flu vaccine is the best way to protect their children from flu.

“It takes time for your body to get strong and ready for flu season, which is why we recommend everybody get the shot as soon as they can. If you are infected with the flu shortly after getting your flu shot, your body may not be able to fight it off,” Moorjani said.

Naseem S. Miller is a writer for the Orlando Sentinel.

My take on this is simply three points:

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1] A non-viable vaccine made from components of a live organism can not grow and reproduce even in this age of Zombie SciFi as in "The Walking Dead." A killed vaccine can not grow and cause the disease called by the living organism. Period!

2] Any vaccine can cause side-effects, but these side-effects are nominal compared to the illness caused by the live germ.

3] Most vaccines take at least two weeks after administration to produce enough protective antibodies to prevent the illness for which it is given. In other words, a person can develop the illness, e.g. influenza, from exposure to others who are ill before antibodies are sufficient to protect the immunized person. That's why it is wise to get a flu shot in early Autumn before exposure to flu is more likely as we move into the winter season.

Dr. T

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