The Influenza Vaccine: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
I’d like to interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post for an important public service announcement. I’ve written over time about the importance of the influenza vaccine and the myths surrounding it. Today, I’d like to share more of the latter. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard new rationale against getting the “flu shot” and it’s been a good reminder that one will never hear it all:
- I’m not getting the flu shot because I heard a woman got pregnant after she got it. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. And it gets even better: a boy in my son’s class told him this. Yup. Now, I totally believe the second part of this young man’s statement is true. A woman can certainly become pregnant after receiving the influenza vaccine,*** but the vaccine cannot improve fertility and it doesn’t interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills or other forms of contraception. Now, some medications, like certain antibiotics, can decrease the ability of birth control pills to do their job, but the influenza vaccine does not increase ovulation or enhance fertility in any other way. Not even in males.
- Pediatrician’s office: Your child can’t get a flu shot until she has had a current well child exam with us. This came from my daughter’s own pediatrician. If this excuse came from a random doctor’s office where my child wasn’t an established patient, this makes some sense. But from her own pediatrician? No, just no. Neither the CDC nor the American Academy of Pediatrics in their influenza vaccine guidelines states that a check-up is required before receiving the vaccine. As long as your child meets the basic guidelines he should not be denied a flu shot (and nor should you from your doctor). Anything further stipulations are in place to no benefit of your child. So instead head to a public health clinic or to your local pharmacy. And the latter may “match” the shot your child (or you) receives with one for someone in need.
I won’t beat around the bush here: influenza kills. Last year a record high 172 children died from influenza, 80 percent of whom never received the vaccine. Arm yourself with the official guidelines and vaccinate your children. We trust our pediatricians to provide us with good advice and most do so. I was surprised when ours basically denied my daughter her flu shot because she still needed her well check (which, of note, she was scheduled for). So I will be taking her elsewhere so she is vaccinated before the end of October (also as recommended in the CDC guidelines).
***Note: the CDC recommends all women who are pregnant or considering becoming so should receive the influenza vaccine.
