Questions about swine flu vaccine
By Michèle De Meglio
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| Courier-Life Publications |
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question.
Brooklyn parents have mixed opinions about the H1N1 vaccine, with some touting its merits and others flat out refusing to subject their children to the shot.
“Parents are saying, ‘Are you doing it?’ Everybody is asking each other,” said Laurie Windsor, president of School District 20’s Community Education Council (CEC), which represents Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Borough Park and part of Bensonhurst.
Windsor said her son won’t be vaccinated.
“I’m not worried about swine flu,” she said. “We have to deal with regular illnesses.”
James Dandridge, who has four children in Brooklyn public schools, said his kids will not receive the swine flu vaccine either.
“I’ve talked to people in the medical field about the benefits and downfalls of receiving the vaccination for myself and my children,” said Dandridge, who is president of District 18’s CEC representing Canarsie and East Flatbush. His wife decided, “absolutely not. She’s not comfortable with it.”
On the other side, Park Slope parent Rachel Gertzog believes the vaccine is necessary.
“Kids should get the vaccine,” she said. “I’m a teacher and I think teachers have a responsibility also. It’s dangerous. Four thousand people have died so far from swine flu. A handful of people who have had the vaccine have suffered a bad reaction. The numbers tell us that we need to deal with it.”
Cecile Iacono, president of the Presidents’ Council for District 21 representing Coney Island and Bensonhurst, said all four of her children will be vaccinated.
“It’s something that I spoke with my doctor about,” she said. “He didn’t see any problem with it. I don’t like to take chances.”
“Both my daughters received it,” Iacono said. “I watched the procedure. It’s very simple, very easy, and it doesn’t hurt them.”
Doreen Daly, president of District 20’s Presidents’ Council, wonders if non-vaccinated children will be at risk if exposed to children who have had the vaccine.
“A lot of parents are worried about their kids being in school while all these kids have the live virus,” she said. “Imagine 40 kids all sitting in a room with a dose of live virus and the parents wondering, ‘Are they going to sneeze on my kid?’”
Iacono said her eight-year-old twin daughters, who attend P.S. 216 at 350 Avenue X, did not display any cold or flu symptoms in the days after receiving the vaccine.
To learn more about the H1N1 vaccine visit www.nyc.gov/health.
Brooklyn parents have mixed opinions about the H1N1 vaccine, with some touting its merits and others flat out refusing to subject their children to the shot.
“Parents are saying, ‘Are you doing it?’ Everybody is asking each other,” said Laurie Windsor, president of School District 20’s Community Education Council (CEC), which represents Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Borough Park and part of Bensonhurst.
Windsor said her son won’t be vaccinated.
“I’m not worried about swine flu,” she said. “We have to deal with regular illnesses.”
James Dandridge, who has four children in Brooklyn public schools, said his kids will not receive the swine flu vaccine either.
“I’ve talked to people in the medical field about the benefits and downfalls of receiving the vaccination for myself and my children,” said Dandridge, who is president of District 18’s CEC representing Canarsie and East Flatbush. His wife decided, “absolutely not. She’s not comfortable with it.”
On the other side, Park Slope parent Rachel Gertzog believes the vaccine is necessary.
“Kids should get the vaccine,” she said. “I’m a teacher and I think teachers have a responsibility also. It’s dangerous. Four thousand people have died so far from swine flu. A handful of people who have had the vaccine have suffered a bad reaction. The numbers tell us that we need to deal with it.”
Cecile Iacono, president of the Presidents’ Council for District 21 representing Coney Island and Bensonhurst, said all four of her children will be vaccinated.
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“Both my daughters received it,” Iacono said. “I watched the procedure. It’s very simple, very easy, and it doesn’t hurt them.”
Doreen Daly, president of District 20’s Presidents’ Council, wonders if non-vaccinated children will be at risk if exposed to children who have had the vaccine.
“A lot of parents are worried about their kids being in school while all these kids have the live virus,” she said. “Imagine 40 kids all sitting in a room with a dose of live virus and the parents wondering, ‘Are they going to sneeze on my kid?’”
Iacono said her eight-year-old twin daughters, who attend P.S. 216 at 350 Avenue X, did not display any cold or flu symptoms in the days after receiving the vaccine.
To learn more about the H1N1 vaccine visit www.nyc.gov/health.
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of yournabe.com.
Flu blamed on pigs wrote on Nov 22, 2009 11:32 PM:
" Although you may have stated some valid points, your attitude shows as much ignorance as those whom, in your words, "check your 'H1N1 vaccine paperwork'"! If everyone were to truly "stand up and think" in this country (and everywhere else) they would analyze their individual risk factors, talk to their doctor, and act accordingly. There are as many decisions affected whether or not to get the vaccine as there are people. Many getting the vaccine have no reason to take the risk; their paranoid counterparts denying the vaccine to very young at-risk children (with medical conditions adding even more risk). A generation within the latter group is being denied protection from over-zealous paranoid parents. Why? Because as you yourself just said so eloquently, nobody wants to "stand up and think" (yourself included)! Like right wing and left wing, it seems even in matters of personal decision and plain common sense, life imitates politics, as you graphically illustrated in your comments. "
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Pig Fli wrote on Nov 21, 2009 12:58 PM:
Are you fricking joking?
#1 - vaccines are made of known toxins, regardless of what you "think" you know.
#2 - vaccines are the number one reason for our dumber generation, when was the last time you were inspired by someone's genius?
#3 - severe reactions are being reported all over the world, including DEATH and PARALYSIS! http://vaccine-reactions.blogspot.com/
#4 - Do you even know what an adjuvant is? wikipedia definition: [I]However, it was soon found that more scrupulous attention to cleanliness actually seemed to reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines, and that the contaminants – "dirt" – actually enhanced the immune response. There are many known adjuvants in widespread use, including oils, aluminium salts, and virosomes, although precisely how they work is still not entirely understood. [/I]
#5 - Autism links - proven facts:
1987 - 1 in 5000 reported "autism"
2007 - 1 in 165 reported "autism"
#6 - Women are reporting miscarriages in their first and second trimesters after receiving the shot - look it up.
I'm so disgusted with the sheeple in this nation, how much does it take for you people to stand up and think? Will it take the mandatory check points on your way to work to check your "H1N1 vaccine paperwork"?
WHAT WILL IT TAKE?? "