On 26/10/2004, at 6:50, Anne Nans wrote:

> *****Elisheva, I can't imagine why anyone would want to inject mercury
> into their body for a vaccine that often is the wrong strain of the
> virus. [...] Even if the dose in the flu vaccine is theoretically too
> small to harm a baby, why polute our breastmilk with a known
> neurotoxin at any dose for the possibility that the flu vaccine will
> target the right virus this year?

I'm not sure whether you intended your email to sound so judgemental.
 From a personal point of view, I balance the minute possibility of a
"theoretically too small to be toxic" dose of mercury (also present in
the fish I eat to reduce my asthma symptoms and reduce the risk of
heart disease) against the real reduction in risk of an infection that
could make me and my son very very ill (and possibly kill us, a small
but proven and well-decribed risk). I work in a University health
service and am exposed to every bug that passes by, despite
handwashing. My son has a history of wheezing and is at risk. Avoiding
"high risk situations" is not an option. I make an informed decision
balancing the very real benefits against the minute unproven risks, and
not based on hand-waving hysteria or paranoia.

There's a tiny, unproven risk with any medication a breastfeeding woman
takes, but we weigh this against the benefits,  contextualise, inform,
and don't lecture her about polluting her milk with toxins.

  Lara Hopkins

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