During the flu season and especially since the Swine Flu epidemic, breastfeeding is so important in safeguarding your little ones.
Even the Center for Disease Control, whom I typically disagree with, agrees:
Because mothers make antibodies to fight diseases they come in contact with, their milk is custom-made to fight the diseases their babies are exposed to as well. This is really important in young babies when their immune system is still developing.
Breastmilk is nature's way of boosting a young ones immune system. All those lovely antibodies that mom has built up over her lifetime are passed along to her baby. This is a much safer and respectful way to immunize your baby.
There is one H1N1 vaccine approved for infants. The package insert for the H1N1 vaccine produced by Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. lists formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, as an ingredient in this vaccine. Since extensive testing of this vaccine hasn't been tested yet - the long term effects remain to be seen. What I can tell you is that injecting formaldehyde into any body, but particularity a little body can be very dangerous and in some cases fatal.
Mercury is also an ingredient in the Swine Flu vaccine. According to Victoria Nicks of Suite 101:
A .5 mL dose of the vaccine contains 25 micrograms of mercury, according to the package insert. Each infant dose of swine flu vaccine is .25 mL, exactly one-half the amount of vaccine and mercury, which equals 12.5 micrograms of mercury. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses a formula to state the amount of mercury that an individual can be exposed to without "recognized adverse effects," of .1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day. In order to avoid adverse effects, the six month old infant receiving a 12.5 microgram dose must weigh at least 275 lbs.
Read more at Suite101: Infant's Swine Flu Vaccine Injection Ingredients: Toxins in H1N1 Vaccination Formulated for Babies Six Months and Up http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/infants_swine_flu_vaccine_injection_ingredients#ixzz0bCca0aM7
In my house if a kid is sick, I will express some breast milk into a cup and have them drink it. I realize that some people might be grossed out by the idea, however, my children don't stay sick for more then a day or so. Even when my entire family had a Type A flu that we believe was H1N1 - not one of us was in bed for over 24 hours.
For guidelines on breastfeeding while infected with the Swine Flu visit http://breastfeeding.suite101.com/article.cfm/breastfeeding_and_swine_flu
If you can't or won't breastfeed please consider going to a milk bank to boost your baby's health. There is a yahoo milk share group as well as local milk banks all across the country.
A real look at the components of formula and why it is substandard to breastmilk, visit: http://www.theecologist.co.uk/trial_investigations/268337/breastmilk_vs_formula_food.html
