 [ Symptoms ] my friend says flu shots contain toxins she does not get an annual shot i get one every year who is crazy  i researched the mercury in thimersol fda is going to discontinue it but it you get a single dose shot there is no thimersol in it some of the toxins she thinks are in flu shots are aluminum mercury triton x 100 phenol ethylene glycol betapropiolactone nonoxynol octoxinol 9 sodium phosphate [ Disease ] your friend is misinformed and she is doing herself and anyone around her a disservice by avoiding the flu shot the influenza vaccine is an important tool in reducing the spread of this potentially lethal virus when a person goes unvaccinated they are at much higher risk for picking up the virus once they are infected they can pass the virus to others some of the people who get the influenza virus will die that is why it is so important to get the flu shot each year you might reassure your friend that according to the centers for disease control cdc vaccines used in the united states contain only 6 or 7 ingredients these include aluminum salts sugars andor gelatins egg protein penicillin sulfa drugs formaldehyde thimerosol only in multi dose vials of flu vaccine those last two look scary right but here is the thing these ingredients are used in tiny amounts in fact any given dose of a vaccine contains so little of those ingredients that they are not harmful to take look at it this way if it were harmful to get a flu shot would not millions of people each year get sick andor die from the vaccine but they do not in fact except for people with an egg allergy very few people have any adverse reaction to the flu shot and there certainly are no long term studies that show getting an annual flu shot has a negative impact on one is health over the course of a lifetime i urge you not to avoid the flu shot it is good for your health and for the health of those around you hope this helps