Meghan:

I have come to be very cynical about any commercially produced vaccination against viral infections. The main reasons are:

1. I have never seen any credible scientific studies on people that vaccinations are of benefit, and I don’t think any exist;

2. It is counter-intuitive that an antibody to a killed viral fragment will have an immune benefit for another distantly related viral strain; and

3. I distrust anything that has been granted a monopoly to make money for one company and the Federal Government by agencies who are paid by the profits from vaccine sales. This complex relationship used to be called “a pig in a poke.”

I have never seen clear benefits from the flu vaccination, only dangerously worse cases of the very flu that is trying to be avoided.

In short, I wouldn’t subject anyone I cared for to a vaccination campaign, but there are many ways to build a stronger immune system, and I would help them do that.

Good luck,
Dr. Thomas Lee
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Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 8:50 PM
Subject: Question about vaccinations

Hello,

I have a three-year-old daughter. She has yet to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine series. She will be attending a preschool program in the fall and I was told that I need to have the vaccine before then — in addition to the flu vaccine (which recently became a requirement).

Do you feel it is safe to get the vaccine now that she is older? I am still concerned.

Also, what do you feel about the flu shot?

Thank you in advance for your advice,
Meghan