Please Don't Pass the Icky Stuff

Ew! Squash is squishy.

Ew! Cranberries look like blood clots.

Ew! I don’t wanna eat brussel sprouts.

Yep, those are my childhood memories of Thanksgiving dinner (just kidding, Ma – mostly I remember yummy food and bonding time).

Lately, each year during Thanksgiving, the nurse in our family asks: “Who wants a flu shot?”

She can get the vaccine at the clinic.

I don’t do needles. That’s always my excuse.

“Now they have nasal mist,” Nurse says.

Frankly, I don’t like sniffing things up my nose either. Besides, thanks to a friend, my awareness about vaccines has climbed a few notches. This Thanksgiving I have a better reason to avoid a flu shot: the ingredients. Flu shots contain dead viruses, egg products, formaldehyde, and mercury. Gross!

Gimme the turkey, pass the potatoes, LOAD my plate with squash, cranberries, and brussel sprouts (well, not too many brussel sprouts), but please don’t pass the icky, poisonous stuff.

Oh, and if you have a minute, watch this: What’s in a Flu Shot?

And if you have another minute, my next Ask a Blogger column is online today here. I'm collecting questions on blogging for use in my next column, so if you have any post them!